Optical modeling of thin-film silicon solar cells by combination of the transfer-matrix method and the raytracer algorithm

Cordula Walder; Juergen Lacombe; Karsten von Maydell; Carsten Agert

doi:10.1117/1.OE.51.7.073801

6 July 2012 Optical modeling of thin-film silicon solar cells by combination of the transfer-matrix method and the raytracer algorithm

Cordula Walder, Juergen Lacombe, Karsten von Maydell, Carsten Agert

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 51, Issue 7, 073801 (July 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.51.7.073801

Abstract

We discuss an optical model which describes silicon thin-film solar cells with rough interfaces in a fast and easy way. In order to simulate thin layer stacks with rough interfaces diffuse scattering as well as interference effects have to be taken into account. Algorithms like the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD) solve the Maxwell Equations, and therefore fulfil these demands; yet, they take a considerable amount of simulation time and computation capacity. To overcome these drawbacks, an optical model was developed which combines the transfer-matrix method (TMM) and the raytracer algorithm. The fraction of TMM and raytracer in the model is determined by a separating function which can be interpreted as the integral haze. In order to verify the combined optical model, a series of amorphous silicon single cells with varying intrinsic layer thicknesses was produced on two different kinds of textured substrates. The results of the combined optical model are compared to measured data and the simulation results of the FDTD method. We show that the combined optical model yields good results at low simulation time.

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Cordula Walder, Juergen Lacombe, Karsten von Maydell, and Carsten Agert "Optical modeling of thin-film silicon solar cells by combination of the transfer-matrix method and the raytracer algorithm," Optical Engineering 51(7), 073801 (6 July 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.51.7.073801

Published: 6 July 2012

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