Modeling of a-Si:H Alloy Solar Cells on Textured Substrates

Abstract

ABSTRACTComputer modeling is used as a tool for determining current matching in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) alloy tandem cells on textured substrates. The increasing complexity of a-Si:H based solar cells requires continuous extending and testing of the computer models which are used for their simulation. To take light scattering at the textured interfaces of the cell into account we developed a multi-rough-interface optical model GENPR02 which was used for calculating the absorption profiles in the solar cells. The results of a sensitivity study of the parameters of this optical model such as the scattering coefficients of the reflected and transmitted light and the dependence of scattered light on the in-going and out-going angle are presented. In order to simulate multi-junction solar cell as a complete device we implemented a novel model for tunnel/recombination junction (TRJ), which combines the trap assisted tunneling and enhanced carrier transport in the high field region of the TRJ.The current matching conditions were determined both for a-Si:H and a-SiGe:H bottom cells, while the top cell was an a-Si:H cell. We investigated the influence of light scattering at the textured interfaces and of the thickness of the intrinsic layer of the bottom cell on the optimal ratio (i2/i1) between the thicknesses of the bottom (i2) and top (il) intrinsic layers in the current-matched cell. The results show that increasing amount of scattering at the textured interfaces leads to higher efficiencies and lower ratio (i2/i1) in the current-matched cell. The use of a-SiGe:H material in the bottom cell leads to higher efficiency and 3 to 4 times lower i2/i1 ratio than in case of a-Si:H/a-Si:H cells.