Numerical simulation of the impact of design parameters on the performance of back-contact back-junction solar cell

This work presents a study based on electro-optical numerical simulations of the impact of geometrical and doping parameters on main figures of merit of crystalline silicon back-contact back-junction solar cells. State-of-the-art physical models in combination with two-dimensional simulations performed by a TCAD tool have been adopted to carry out an extensive and detailed analysis of the influence of many fabrication parameters on performance. The studied design parameters are the doping level in front surface field (FSF), back surface field (BSF) and emitter, and the main geometrical parameters. A doping level value that allows the maximization of the efficiency for the three regions can be clearly identified. In particular, for BSF and emitter, an efficiency degradation is observed for relatively lower doping values and is ascribed to the higher contact recombination while for higher doping values the Auger recombination plays a significant role in reducing the ultimate efficiency. In FSF region the recombination due to defects at the front interface is the main limiting mechanisms for efficiency. On the basis of our analysis, a marked sensitivity of the efficiency to the gap and pitch size is caused by the series resistance increase. The efficiency exhibits a maximum value for an emitter coverage fraction (R) of 85 %. However, in the case of lower emitter coverage, Auger, Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH): in bulk and at interfaces are detrimental for the cell conversion efficiency.