Physically Based Analytical Model of Heavily Doped Silicon Wafers Based Proposed Solar Cell Microstructure

Marwa S Salem,Adwan Alanazi,Mohamed Abouelatta,Ahmed Shaker,Abdelhalim Zekry,Mohammed Elbanna,Rabie A Ramadan,Christian Gontrand,Abdullah J Alzahrani

doi:10.1109/access.2020.3012657

Abstract

In this paper, an analytical model of a proposed low-cost high efficiency NPN silicon-based solar cell structure is presented. The structure is based on using low cost heavily doped commercially available silicon wafers and proposed to be fabricated by the same steps as the conventional solar cells except an extra deep trench etch step. Moreover, the cell has been engineered to react to the UV spectrum, resulting in a greater conversion performance. The presented analytical model takes the electrical and optical characteristics into account. Thus, the influence of both physical and technological parameters on the structure performance could be easily examined. Consequently, the optimization of the structure performance becomes visible. To inspect the validity of the analytical model, a comparison of the main performance parameters resulting from the model results with TCAD simulations is carried out, showing good agreement.

Highlights

Recently, thin film solar cells have been presented as competitors to the single crystal silicon solar cells due to their low cost and their rapid efficiency improvement [1]
Silicon is still the main material used in PV applications due to efficient, reliable and stable solar cells produced from silicon
In this work, an analytical model is developed for a proposed low-cost npn solar cell whose operation based on the concept of vertical generation and lateral light carriers collection

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Thin film solar cells have been presented as competitors to the single crystal silicon solar cells due to their low cost and their rapid efficiency improvement [1]. They are responsible for the lateral collection of the vertically light generated carriers caused by longer wavelength photons through low diffusion length These two vertical junctions are the solution for overcoming the problem of using highly doped silicon with low diffusion length in the conventional planar solar cell. As the top n+ is a non-useful planar cell because of high doping of p+ base, the primary structure responsible for the collection of long wavelengths, sidewall junctions, becomes ineffective These are the reasons that the current reaches its minimum values when Wp higher than Ln. we are going to find an expression for the hole current density inside the n+ region.

MODEL VALIDATION VS TCAD SIMULATION

Findings

CONCLUSION