A Novel and Optimal Simulation Approach for Non-Uniform Boron Emitter of Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative simulation methodology for analyzing the performance of crystalline silicon solar cells with non-uniform emitter architectures. By leveraging the ATHENA and ATLAS platforms in the Silvaco TCAD software suite, both doping process models and device models for non-uniform emitters were developed. The simulation results indicate that non-uniform emitters primarily arise from the uneven distribution of boron atoms in borosilicate glass (BSG) layer. Device simulation reveals that non-uniform emitters exhibit significant surface recombination losses and lateral transport losses during carrier transport, leading to reductions in both open-circuit voltage (V_oc) and short-circuit current (J_sc). The observed correlation between larger deviations in sheet resistance and greater performance degradation aligns closely with experimental trends. This method offers a more precise tool for simulating the performance of industrially manufactured solar cells and has the potential to shorten development cycles for silicon solar cell diffusion processes.