Mathematical modelling of a novel heterojunction SIS front surface and interdigitated back-contact solar cell

In this paper, we propose the design and fabrication of a novel heterojunction semiconductor–insulator–semiconductor (SIS) front surface and interdigitated back-contact (IBC) solar cell. We approximate the performance parameters and loss analysis of the proposed solar cell using MATLAB software programming. Many studies have reported the experimental analysis of amorphous silicon (a-Si) IBC solar cells. A number of silicon heterojunction solar cell designs with promising efficiency have been reported in the past few decades. In this study, a long-lifetime (~ 2 ms) n-Si substrate was considered so that a sufficient number of photogenerated carriers could reach the interdigitated layer and be absorbed. The availability of carriers at the interdigitated back surface was further enhanced by considering a high-low junction created by a ZnO n⁺ layer at the front surface. A very thin layer of thermally deposited insulator SiO₂ was considered between the ZnO and n-Si. This layer reduces the detrimental effects of interface defects. This is the first study in which we have theoretically investigated an IBC solar cell using metal oxide semiconductor layer deposition, thereby avoiding the expensive and complicated doping and diffusion process. In general, a high-concentration n⁺ layer is doped to create a high-low junction at the front to accelerate the transport of carriers to the back junctions. We propose a cost-effective method using thermal deposition of a SiO₂ layer followed by sol–gel ZnO layer deposition, which serves the same purpose as an n⁺ layer by introducing an SIS junction potential at the front. The interdigitated back surface was designed with sequential n⁺ a-Si and p⁺ a-Si vertical junctions.