Simulation of Solar Cell with

Silvaco ATLAS
25.2.2010
Solar cell valo
light
p n

I
• pn-junction V
• Under illumination:
– Charge carriers R
are generated in the
depletion region
Æ Electric field e
separates electrons
and holes
p n
Æ Photocurrent
hw

e
g

x
WE L-WB L
Solar cell – IV characteristics
J

• Photocurrent JL generates JL V R
voltage V in the load resistor R
Æ Voltage V opens the pn-
junction (forward bias) J

Æ Normal diode current (here

leakage)
Æ Reduction of total current

(
J = J s e qV k BT
)
−1 − J L Vm
Voc
V

Normal diode maksimi-

Max
Photocurrent power
tehoalue
current area
Jm

-JL
Silvaco ATLAS device simulation software

• http://www.silvaco.com/
• Simulation of the electrical, optical, and thermal
behavior of semiconductor devices
• Analysis of DC, AC, and transient responses
• 2D or 3D
• Based on finite element method (FEM)
 75 nm anti
Model structure reflective SiN
Light coating
x

n-type silicon
Front
contact

p-type silicon
400 μm

Back contact

1000 μm
y Not in scale.
Simulation steps

1. Creation of grid
2. Definition of material parameters, doping, traps etc.
3. Solution in thermodynamical equilibrium
4. Calculation of IV-curve under illumination
 -100

Creation of grid
0
cathode

• More dense grid near

important points 100

(edges, interfaces,
electrodes)

Microns
200

300

anode
400

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

Microns
Doping and trap profiles
Doping profile Trap state density profile
18
1,0E+21
Donor Trap DOS #1 (/cm3)

1,0E+20
17

1,0E+19 Donors
1,0E+18 Acceptors 16
Doping density (cm )
-3

1,0E+17
1,0E+16 15

1,0E+15
14
1,0E+14
1,0E+13
13

1,0E+12
1,0E+11 12

1,0E+10
1,0E+09 11

0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0

y (microns) 10

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3

y (Microns )
 Solution in thermodynamical equilibrium
Electric potential
Potential (V)
0.6
0.2

0
cathode 0.4

0.4
0.6

100

0.8

0.2
Microns
Microns

1
200

Potential (V)

0.603
1.2
0.545 Potential (V)
0.487
0.428
0.37
0
300
0.312 0.603
0.254
0.195
0.545
0.137 1.4 0.458
0.0787
0.0204 0.399
-0.0379
-0.0962
0.341
-0.154 0.283
-0.213
-0.271 0.195
-0.329
1.6 0.137
anode 0.0787
400
0.0204 -0.2
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 -0.0379
-0.0962
1.8 -0.154
Microns
-0.213
-0.271
-0.329

2
-0.4
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2

Microns

Microns
IV-curve under illumination
3

Current density (A/cm )

2

-1

-2

-3
0,00 0,10 0,20 0,30 0,40 0,50 0,60 0,70
Voltage (V)