Analyzing periodical textured silicon solar cells by the TCAD modeling

The most effective way to improve the optical properties of silicon-based solar cells is to form the textures on their surface. In this paper, the authors studied the influence of geometric sizes of periodical pyramidal textures, which are formed on the surface of a silicon-based solar cell, on its photoelectric properties. Through optics theories, it was determined that the angle at the base of the pyramid should be equal to 73°7ʹ12ʺ. But, using the Sentaurus TCAD program, it was found that the angle at the base of pyramid should be 70°21ʹ0ʺ, in order to reach the maximum efficiency. Because the model takes into account all the electric, optic and thermic properties of the solar cell. The modeling identified that the output power of the simple planar silicon-based solar cell was equal to 6.13 mW/cm2, the output power of the solar cell, which was covered with the pyramidal texture with height of 1.4 μm, was equal to 10.62 mW/cm2. It was found that the efficiency of the solar cell increases by 1.6 times, when it is covered with pyramids with the angle at the base of pyramid equal to 70°21ʹ0ʺ.