AMPS MODELING OF INTERFACES INFLUENCE IN A-Si NIP SOLAR CELLS

摘要

This paper reports numerical simulation for the impacts of interfaces at ITO/p, p/i and n/metal on the performances of a-Si solar cells, using Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures (AMPS) computer model developed at Penn State University. The simulated results show that (1) when the front contact barrier height formed at ITO/p interface is above 0.3eV, it leads to an anomalous illuminated I-V characteristics with a bending close to the open circuit point; and (2) the back contact barrier height at n/metal interface plays a similar role to hinder the electron collection and may cause the illuminated I-V curve to bend seriously, when the barrier is above 0.6eV; and (3) with increasing bandgap of p/i interface layer beyond 2.1 eV, the filled factor (FF)decreases seriously, due to the band offset and the band discontinuity at the p/i interface, which also leads to an anomalous illuminated I-V characteristics.