Simulation and study of the influence of the buffer intrinsic layer, back-surface field, densities of interface defects, resistivity of p-type silicon substrate and transparent conductive oxide on heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer (HIT) solar cell

The influence of various parameters such as buffer intrinsic layers, back-surface fields, densities of interface defects (Dit), the resistivity of p-type silicon substrates (q) and then work function of transparent conductive oxide (/TCO) on heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer (HIT) solar cell performance was investigated using software simulation. Automat for the simulation of heterostructures (AFORS-HET) software was used for that purpose. Our results indicate that band bending, which is determined by the band offsets at the buffer intrinsic/ c-Si and/or the c-Si/back-surface field heterointerface, could be critical to solar cell performance. The effect of band bending on solar cell performance and the dependence of cell performance on q and /TCO were investigated in detail. Eventually, suggestive design parameters for HIT solar cell fabrication are proposed. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.