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We propose an improved lumped-parameter equivalent circuit model to describe S-shaped I–V kinks observed from organic solar cells. Firstly, to predict the S-shaped I–V kinks accurately in both the first and fourth quadrants, a shunt resistor in parallel with extraction diode is added to our previous model. Secondly, based on the Newton–Raphson method, we derive a solution to our improved circuit. Thirdly, our solution is verified by the method of least squares and experiments. Finally, compared with our previous work, the improved circuit has higher accuracy in demonstrating S-shaped I–V kinks in the first and fourth quadrants. Such an improved model is suitable for circuit simulations of organic solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved lumped-parameter equivalent circuit model is proposed to describe S-shaped I–V characteristics of organic solar cells (OSCs). This model originates but differs from Mazhari’s model. As a minor but important modification, a shunt resistance is added to Mazhari’s model to increase the accuracy of simulating the S-shaped kink in the third quadrant. Subsequently, we present a terminal current-voltage equation set and derive an analytical solution to the improved model. Furthermore, we verify the analytical solution to our model by using the least square method and validate our model by using the experimental I–V curves examined from OSCs. Compared with Mazhari’s model, our model has greater accuracy in interpreting the S-shaped kink with linear-like rise in the third quadrant. As a result, our improved model is suitable to explain the S-shaped I–V characteristics of organic solar cells in the whole operational region, especially for the S-shaped kink in the third quadrant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an analytical and closed-form solution to the lumped parameter equivalent circuit model of organic solar cells is proposed to complete the simulations of the S-shaped I-V characteristics. Based on the model previously proposed by Mazhari, the set of terminal current and voltage equations describing the three diodes is solved and the effects from the model parameters are illustrated. Our solutions are verified by being compared with the least square method results and experimental data, respectively. Good agreements show that our solution calculation scheme is not only both accurate and efficient, but also valid in the whole operation regime of solar cells, especially for the S-shaped kink on the condition where the terminal voltage is larger than the open circuit voltage. Such an analytical solution can play an important role in the simulations for I-V characteristics of solar cells, fast extractions of the model parameters, and implements into practical photovoltaic device simulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]