Simulation of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon-based Solar Cell: Investigation of J-V Characteristic in Optimum Thickness

Abstract

One of the factors that influence the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of solar cells is the thickness of the constituent material’s layers. Thus, when the solar cell is constructed using p/i/n junctions type, each layer thickness will contribute to the resulting electrical characteristics. In this research, a simulation of solar cell’s electric current density calculation based on amorphous hydrogenated silicon has been carried out. The simulation is conducted to determine the numerical solution of the two-dimensional semiconductor equation, which is the distribution of the number of electron charge carriers and holes in the simulated solar cell device. It was started by determining the optimum thickness producing the best performance from each layer. Material performance indicators are seen based on the Jsc and Voc values. The p layer thickness in the p/i/n junction was simulated with the variation (70-220)Å/5500Å/300Å. The active layer was manufactured with variations of 150Å/(4500-7500)Å/300Å. Finally, we have also simulated the J-V characteristic of a solar cell by thickness variation for the n layer in the p/i/n junction is 150Å/5500Å/(100-350)Å. The results obtained from each simulation process are then re-simulated in each layer’s optimum thickness combination. Through a series of simulated processes of each layer, the best results were obtained when solar cells based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon were made at a thickness of 190Å/7500Å/150Å, with Jsc and Voc of 5.33 A/m and 0.65 V, respectively.