Numerical analysis of back-surface-field silicon solar cells

A proven semiconductor device analysis computer code has been used to numerically simulate back-surface-field silicon solar cells. The insight afforded by the one-dimensional solutions of ca~rrier transport in these cells has enabled the identification of pertinent physics describing the operation of these devices. With this analytical knowledge, discussions concerning the essential properties of an effective BSF solar cell were presented. The practicality of using silicon BSF cells for terrestrial applications, specifically in high-temperature, multiple-sun environments, was examined through the use of the device analysis code. The results of this study are encouraging and suggest that the highest-efficiency, most economical solar cells of the future may well be high-resistivity back-surface-field silicon cells.