Quasi 1D multi-physics modeling of silicon heterojunction solar cells

Abstract

Silicon based technology continues to mature and move steadily towards the auger limited maximum efficiency ($\sim$29%). In particular silicon heterojunction technology currently holds the world record for silicon based single junction cells. Optimization of heterojunction solar cells now requires a concentrated and deep understanding of the physics of transport. In this paper we present a multi-physics/multiscale approach to understanding and analyzing transport in silicon heterojunction solar cells. We self-consistently couple a traditional drift-diffusion model to an ensemble Monte Carlo and kinetic Monte Carlo to create a multiscale solver that is capable of including high field effects present at the a-Si/c-Si heterointerface and the nuances of defect assisted transport through the a-Si:H(i) buffer layer.