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Instructions (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/instructions)
Acknowledgements (/pvcdrom/acknowledgements)
Welcome (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom)
1. Introduction (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/introduction)
2. Properties of Sunlight (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/properties-of-sunlight)
3. Semiconductors & Junctions (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/pn-junctions)
4. Solar Cell Operation (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation)
5. Design of Silicon Cells (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/design-of-silicon-cells)
6. Manufacturing Si Cells (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/manufacturing-si-cells)
7. Modules and Arrays (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/modules-and-arrays)
8. Characterization (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/characterisation)
10. Batteries (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/batteries)
9. Material Properties (/pvcdrom/materials)
11. Appendices (/pvcdrom/appendices)
Korean Version PDF (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/korean-version-pdf)
Interactive Graphs (/list-of-graphs)
Equations (/list-of-equations)
References (/biblio)
Short-Circuit Current
The short-circuit current is the current through the solar cell when the voltage across the solar cell is zero (i.e., when the solar cell is
short circuited). Usually written as ISC, the short-circuit current is shown on the IV curve below.
IV curve of a solar cell showing the short-circuit current.
The short-circuit current is due to the generation and collection of light-generated carriers. For an ideal solar cell at most moderate
resistive loss mechanisms, the short-circuit current and the light-generated current are identical. Therefore, the short-circuit current is
the largest current which may be drawn from the solar cell.
The short-circuit current depends on a number of factors which are described below:
the area of the solar cell. To remove the dependence of the solar cell area, it is more common to list the short-circuit current
density (Jsc in mA/cm2) rather than the short-circuit current;
the number of photons (i.e., the power of the incident light source). Isc from a solar cell is directly dependant on the light intensity
as discussed in Effect of Light Intensity (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/effect-of-light-intensity) ;
the spectrum of the incident light. For most solar cell measurement, the spectrum is standardised to the AM1.5 spectrum
(/pvcdrom/appendices/standard-solar-spectra) ;
the optical properties (absorption and reflection) of the solar cell (discussed in Optical Losses (/pvcdrom/design-of-siliconcells/optical-losses) ); and
the minority-carrier collection probability of the solar cell, which depends chiefly on the surface passivation and the minority
carrier lifetime in the base.
When comparing solar cells of the same material type, the most critical material parameter is the diffusion length and surface
passivation. In a cell with perfectly passivated surface and uniform generation, the equation for the short-circuit current density can be
approximated as:
JSC = qG (Ln + Lp)
where G is the generation rate, and Ln and Lp are the electron and hole diffusion lengths respectively. Although this equation makes
several assumptions which are not true for the conditions encountered in most solar cells, the above equation nevertheless indicates
that the short-circuit current depends strongly on the generation rate and the diffusion length.
The short circuit current, ISC, is the short circuit current density, JSC, times the cell area:
ISC = JSC A
Silicon solar cells under an AM1.5 spectrum have a maximum possible current of 46 mA/cm2. Laboratory devices have measured
short-circuit currents of over 42 mA/cm2, and commercial solar cell have short-circuit currents between about 28 mA/cm2 and 35
mA/cm2.
In an ideal device every photon above the bandgap gives one charge carrier in the external
circuit so the highest current is for the lowest bandgap.
Illuminated Current and Short Circuit Current (IL or Isc ?)
IL is the light generated current inside the solar cell and is the correct term to use in the solar cell equation. At short circuit conditions
the externally measured current is Isc. Since Isc is usually equal to IL, the two are used interchangeably and for simplicity and the solar
cell equation is written with Isc in place of IL. In the case of very high series resistance (> 10 Ωcm2) Isc is less than IL and writing the
solar cell equation with Isc is incorrect.
Another assumption is that the illumination current IL is solely dependent on the incoming light and is independent of voltage across the
cell. However, IL varies with voltage in the case of drift-field solar cells and where carrier lifetime is a function of injection level such as
defected multicrystalline materials.
Log in (/user/login?destination=comment/reply/116%23comment-form) or register (/user/register?
destination=comment/reply/116%23comment-form) to post comments 1 comment(s) (/node/116/talk)
(/es/fotovoltaica/4-operaci%C3%B3n-de-c%C3%A9lula-solar/corriente-de-cortocircuito)
Christiana Honsberg
and Stuart Bowden
Instructions (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/instructions)
Welcome (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom)
Acknowledgements (/pvcdrom/acknowledgements)
1. Introduction (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/introduction)
2. Properties of Sunlight (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/properties-of-sunlight)
3. Semiconductors & Junctions (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/pn-junctions)
4. Solar Cell Operation (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation)
4.1. Ideal Solar Cells (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/ideal-solar-cells)
Solar Cell Structure (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/solar-cell-structure)
Light Generated Current (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/light-generated-current)
Collection Probability (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/collection-probability)
Quantum Efficiency (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/quantum-efficiency)
Spectral Response (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/spectral-response)
Español
The Photovoltaic Effect (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/the-photovoltaic-effect)
4.2. Solar Cell Parameters (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/solar-cell-parameters)
IV Curve (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/iv-curve)
Short-Circuit Current (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/short-circuit-current)
Open-Circuit Voltage (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/open-circuit-voltage)
Fill Factor (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/fill-factor)
Efficiency (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/solar-cell-efficiency)
Detailed Balance (/pvcdrom/detailed-balance)
Tandem Cells (/pvcdrom/tandem-cells)
4.3. Resistive Effects (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/resistive-effects)
Characteristic Resistance (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/characteristic-resistance)
Effect of Parasitic Resistances (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/effect-of-parasitic-resistances)
Series Resistance (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/series-resistance)
Shunt Resistance (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/shunt-resistance)
Impact of Both Series and Shunt Resistance (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/impact-of-both-series-and-shunt-resistance)
4.4. Other Effects (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/other-effects)
Effect of Temperature (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/effect-of-temperature)
Effect of Light Intensity (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/effect-of-light-intensity)
Ideality Factor (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/ideality-factor)
5. Design of Silicon Cells (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/design-of-silicon-cells)
6. Manufacturing Si Cells (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/manufacturing-si-cells)
7. Modules and Arrays (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/modules-and-arrays)
8. Characterization (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/characterisation)
9. Material Properties (/pvcdrom/materials)
10. Batteries (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/batteries)
11. Appendices (/pvcdrom/appendices)
Korean Version PDF (/pvcdrom/welcome-to-pvcdrom/korean-version-pdf)
Equations (/list-of-equations)
Interactive Graphs (/list-of-graphs)
References (/biblio)
 IV Curve (/pvcdrom/solar-cell-operation/iv-curve)
Open-Circuit Voltage  (/pvcdrom/solar-celloperation/open-circuit-voltage)