Simulation and Fabrication of Heterojunction Silicon Solar Cells from Numerical Computer and Hot-Wire CVD

In this paper, we will present a Pc1D numerical simulation for heterojunction (HJ) silicon solar cells, and discuss their possibilities and limitations. By means of modeling and numerical computer simulation, the influence of emitter-layer/intrinsic-layer/crystalline-Si heterostructures with different thickness and crystallinity on the solar cell performance is investigated and compared with hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) experimental results. A new technique for characterization of n-type microcrystalline silicon (nmc-Si)/intrinsic amorphous silicon (i-a-Si)/crystalline silicon (c-Si) heterojunction solar cells from Pc1D is developed. Results of numerical modeling as well as experimental data obtained using HWCVD on mc-Si (n)/ a-Si (i)/c-Si (p) heterojunction are presented. This work improves the understanding of HJ solar cells to derive arguments for design optimization. Some simulated parameters of solar cells were obtained: the best results for Jsc1⁄4 39 4mA/cm, Voc1⁄4 0 64V, FF1⁄4 83%, and h1⁄4 21% have been achieved. After optimizing the deposition parameters of the n-layer and the H2 pretreatment of solar cell, the single-side HJ solar cells with Jsc1⁄4 34 6mA/cm, Voc1⁄4 0 615V, FF1⁄4 71%, and an efficiency of 15 2% have been achieved. The double-side HJ solar cell with Jsc1⁄4 34 8mA/cm, Voc1⁄4 0 645V, FF1⁄4 73%, and an efficiency of 16 4% has been fabricated. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.