Commercial Photodiode Suitability for Solar Simulator Light Monitoring

The use of commercially available photodiodes for developing diverse solar simulator light monitoring applications is a very convenient approach due to availability, quality, performance and cost effectiveness. Photodiodes as light monitors are meant to be operated in constant current zone, commonly...

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Main Authors: Barber C., López P., Martínez G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: EDP Sciences 2017-01-01
Series:E3S Web of Conferences
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20171616005
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author Barber C.
López P.
Martínez G.
author_facet Barber C.
López P.
Martínez G.
author_sort Barber C.
collection DOAJ
description The use of commercially available photodiodes for developing diverse solar simulator light monitoring applications is a very convenient approach due to availability, quality, performance and cost effectiveness. Photodiodes as light monitors are meant to be operated in constant current zone, commonly referred to as photoconductive mode. In this operation mode, they offer linear response to impinging light over a few orders of magnitude. However, while presenting desirable characteristics in the manufacturer’s specification sheets, there is a general lack of information regarding current response saturation for higher irradiances as it is the case of placing the photodiode directly under AM0 like conditions leading to possible misuse. This paper will provide a guided approach on how to determine photodiode eligibility for solar simulator light monitoring applications. Needing to be linear around AM0 irradiances, suitability will rely on empirical IV tests at different irradiation conditions of three commercial silicon photodiodes performed in one of Spasolab’s Xe based solar simulators. Further testing data including spectral response will also be provided from a specially manufactured off the production line photodiode from Hamamatsu, which has never been published, proving it to be an excellent option. Test data will serve to give guidelines on suitability for the application focusing on series resistance, having enough reverse bias headroom and containing power consumption to avoid excessive self-heating, yielding an appropriate bias voltage to assure linearity. Finally, a discussion on the photodiode’s upper saturation limit determination will be introduced.
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spelling doaj.art-fcd9b592e470476bab5083b341684f082022-12-21T23:38:42ZengEDP SciencesE3S Web of Conferences2267-12422017-01-01161600510.1051/e3sconf/20171616005e3sconf_espc2017_16005Commercial Photodiode Suitability for Solar Simulator Light MonitoringBarber C.0López P.1Martínez G.2INTA-SPASOLABISDEFE ConsultingINTA-SPASOLABThe use of commercially available photodiodes for developing diverse solar simulator light monitoring applications is a very convenient approach due to availability, quality, performance and cost effectiveness. Photodiodes as light monitors are meant to be operated in constant current zone, commonly referred to as photoconductive mode. In this operation mode, they offer linear response to impinging light over a few orders of magnitude. However, while presenting desirable characteristics in the manufacturer’s specification sheets, there is a general lack of information regarding current response saturation for higher irradiances as it is the case of placing the photodiode directly under AM0 like conditions leading to possible misuse. This paper will provide a guided approach on how to determine photodiode eligibility for solar simulator light monitoring applications. Needing to be linear around AM0 irradiances, suitability will rely on empirical IV tests at different irradiation conditions of three commercial silicon photodiodes performed in one of Spasolab’s Xe based solar simulators. Further testing data including spectral response will also be provided from a specially manufactured off the production line photodiode from Hamamatsu, which has never been published, proving it to be an excellent option. Test data will serve to give guidelines on suitability for the application focusing on series resistance, having enough reverse bias headroom and containing power consumption to avoid excessive self-heating, yielding an appropriate bias voltage to assure linearity. Finally, a discussion on the photodiode’s upper saturation limit determination will be introduced.https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20171616005
spellingShingle Barber C.
López P.
Martínez G.
Commercial Photodiode Suitability for Solar Simulator Light Monitoring
E3S Web of Conferences
title Commercial Photodiode Suitability for Solar Simulator Light Monitoring
title_full Commercial Photodiode Suitability for Solar Simulator Light Monitoring
title_fullStr Commercial Photodiode Suitability for Solar Simulator Light Monitoring
title_full_unstemmed Commercial Photodiode Suitability for Solar Simulator Light Monitoring
title_short Commercial Photodiode Suitability for Solar Simulator Light Monitoring
title_sort commercial photodiode suitability for solar simulator light monitoring
url https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20171616005
work_keys_str_mv AT barberc commercialphotodiodesuitabilityforsolarsimulatorlightmonitoring
AT lopezp commercialphotodiodesuitabilityforsolarsimulatorlightmonitoring
AT martinezg commercialphotodiodesuitabilityforsolarsimulatorlightmonitoring