Dhaka University Journal of Applied Science & Engineering

• Koushik Kumar
  Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
• Ron Saha
  Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
• Mainul Hossain
  Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

In this study, a functional interdigitated back contact heterojunction silicon solar cell (IBC-SHJ) was designed and its electrical characteristics were analyzed using technology computer aided (TCAD) device simulation tool. Having rear contacts exposes the entire front surface of an IBC-SHJ solar cell to the solar spectrum, thereby, enabling it to attain higher efficiency compared to traditional solar cells with front contacts. Performance of the IBC-SHJ cell was rigorously studied with respect to the thickness and material of the antireflective coating (ARC) as well changing doping concentration of amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer. The efficiency (ƞ) of the proposed design is extracted from the characteristic I-V curves under various conditions. Optimizing the design parameters, a maximum efficiency of ~25% was achieved for 200nm thick Si3N4 ARC and with a doping concentration of 1020cm-3 in the a-Si layer. The results obtained from this simulation study were found to be consistent with experimental data available in the literature.

1. Z. Shu, U. Das, J. Allen, R. Birkmire, and S. Hegedus, Experimental and simulated analysis of front versus all backcontact silicon heterojunction solar cells: Effect of interface and doped a-Si:H layer defects,Prog Photovolt Res Appl.,23, 78–93, 2015