Numerical modeling of textured silicon solar cells using PC-1D

PC-1D is a quasi-one-dimensional finite-element program for modeling semiconductor devices on personal computers. The program offers solar cell researchers a convenient user interface with the ability to address complex issues associated with heavy doping, high-level injection, nonplanar structures, and transients. The physical and numerical models used in PC-1D Version 2 that make it possible to approximate the multidimensional effects found in textured crystalline silicon solar cells, including the effects of increased front-surface recombination, oblique photon path angles, and light trapping, are presented. As an example of how the model can be applied, PC-1D is used to investigate the interpretation of spectral quantum efficiency data as a tool for diagnosing the internal performance of textured silicon solar cells.>