Porosity control in thin film solar cells: Two-dimensional case

This work focuses on the simulation and control of a porous silicon thin film deposition process used in the manufacture of thin film solar cell systems. Initially, the process is simulated via kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) method on a triangular lattice. Then a closed-form differential equation model is introduced to predict the dynamics of the kMC model and closed-loop system, and the model parameters in this model are identified by fitting to open-loop kMC simulation results. Finally, a model predictive controller (MPC) is designed and results demonstrate that both film thickness and porosity can be regulated to desired values.