On the Partial Filling of the Intermediate Band in IB Solar Cells

Based on a generalized model of the Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) statistics published elsewhere, the effect of the partial filling of the intermediate band (IB) in IB solar cells and the ways of producing it are analyzed, as is its influence on the electron–hole pair generation by subband-gap photons. The differences between cells with the conduction band and the IB thermally coupled and uncoupled are stressed. This paper is oriented toward the explanation of the operation of quantum-dot solar cells, where the IB is formed from electron-confined states but can also be applicable to other IB systems.