Verification of a generalized Planck law for luminescence radiation from silicon solar cells

A generalization of Planck's radiation law based on the principle of detailed balance predicts the emission of luminescence radiation from absorption data for direct transitions in semiconductors. Its validity for indirect transitions is questionable due to the participation of phonons. We have tested the validity for the indirect transitions in Si by measuring absolute values of the emission intensity from Si solar cells under forward bias at room temperature and find good agreement with theoretical predictions based on existing absorption data. The generalized Planck law, thus verified for the indirect transitions in Si, allows to determine the performance of solar cell materials from measuring the absolute intensity of their emission of luminescence radiation when irradiated by the sun.