| transition layer between semiconducting regions of different electrical properties, or between a semiconductor and a layer of a different type, being characterized by a potential barrier impeding the movement of charge carriers from one region to the other
a) cell junction
junction between the P-type semiconductor and N-type semiconductor of a PV cell
NOTE 1 The PV cell junction lies within the cell barrier or depletion zone
b) heterojunction
PN junction in which the two regions differ in their doping conductivities, and also in their atomic compositions
c) homojunction
PN junction in which the two regions differ in their doping conductivities, but not in their atomic compositions
d) Schottky barrier
junction between a metal and a semiconductor in which a transition region, formed at the surface of the semiconductor, acts as a rectifying barrier
e) PIN junction
junction consisting of an intrinsic semiconductor between a P-type semiconductor and an N-type semiconductor, intended to reduce the recombination of minority carriers
NOTE 2 A PIN junction is widely used in thin film amorphous silicon PV cells
f) PN junction
junction between a P-type semiconductor and an N-type semiconductor |