Recombination Losses

Recombination losses effect both the current collection (and therefore the short-circuit current) as well as the forward bias injection current (and therefore the open-circuit voltage). Recombination is frequently classified according to the region of the cell in which it occurs. Typically, recombination at the surface (surface recombination) or in the bulk of the solar cell (bulk recombination) are the main areas of recombination. The depletion region is another area in which recombination can occur (depletion region recombination). Bulk and surface recombination are shown in the animation below.