Predicting and Optimizing Solar Cell Performance with

Material/Surface Characteristics Yiheng Zhu1, Allison Perna1,2, Peter Bermel1,2

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University1; Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University2

This work is funded by the National Science Foundation, Network for Computational Nanotechnology Cyberplatform, Award EEC--‐1227110. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Different types of solar cell devices Idea of Multijunction solar cell

• Researchers can use ContourPV to analyze how characteristic parameters affect photovoltaic performance for the photovoltaics design.

• Based on simulation analysis, researchers can optimize the design and decrease the number of samples to be fabricated.

• In the future, we will add more material/surface characteristics for analyzing III-V multijunction solar cells.

• The tool is published in nanoHUB and can be accessed via https://nanohub.org/tools/contourpv

Motivation

Structure Design

Simulation

Fabrication

Characterization

• Simulation tool can provide researchers with predictions of their solar device design.

• We created ContourPV tool.• Researchers can identify how

material/interface characteristics affect solar cell device performance.

Choose Simulation

Option

Diktat

GUI

Upload Formatted Input File of the test device

Fill in the information of the test device

Output

∙ Raw Data Table

∙ Contour Plots∙ Input Deck File

Simulating

ContourPV Tool

Simulating

Output

Nonrenewable Energy• Limited• Pollution

Renewable Energy• Sustainable• Clean

Solar Market Share Increases Cost of Solar Decreases

Photovoltaics Research Steps

Overview of ContourPV Tool

Project Goal

Methodology

Conclusion

Reference• Nonrenewable Resources Question [Online image]. (2012). Retrieved from

https://education.fcps.org/essl_lessons/nonrenew_question• Veum, P. (2017). Renewable Energy Breakwater [Online image]. Retrieved from https://somapower.com.au/renewable-energy-

breakwater/• After The Crash, Part 1: Solar Stocks [Online image]. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.dollarcollapse.com/after-crash-part-

1-solar-stocks/• Trends In The Cost Of Energy [Online image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://peakoil.com/alternative-energy/trends-in-the-cost-

of-energy• Newkirk, M. (2014). What Are Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline And Thin Film Solar Panels? [Online image]. Retrieved from

https://www.cleanenergyreviews.info/blog/pv-panel-technology• SOLAR CELLS UNDER VERY HIGH CONCENTRATION [Online image]. Retrieved from

https://www.promes.cnrs.fr/index.php?page=solar-cells-under-very-high-concentration• Chaffee, D. “The Next Generation Solar Cell”. Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research, Vol. 5, 2015, pp. 18-29

ADEPT can provide ContourPV tool with Voc, Jsc, FF, and efficiency values.

• Analysis above is for GaInP emitter layer of rear-junction GaInPsolar cells. We find that lifetime strongly affects performance –especially short circuit current. Doping increases open circuit voltage.

Result & Analysis: Contour Plots

Choose Simulation Parameters

Nonrenewable energy Renewable energy

UploadAbsorption

Files

1 2A 2B 2C 3

1

2A

2C

3

2B

LayerInformation for each layer.

Diktat FileContourPV diktat file has the same format as ADEPT input file.

GlobalSimulation condition for the entire device.

SimulationParameters for simulation.

Parameter1. Parameter Choice

Select material/surface parameter swept for each axis.

2. Max, Min, StepsDefine the parameter range and the number of steps.

3. Sweep LayerChoose “yes” for layers that will have this parameter and range swept.

Absorption1. Choose the number of

external absorption files.2. Upload each absorption file

requested.

Simulating ProcessADEPT is utilized to get photovoltaics performance parameters for each combination.

Why ContourPV tool is needed?ContourPV tool provides more intuitive simulation results to predict the performance of a solar cell design.How does ContourPV relate to ADEPT?1. ADEPT is a simulation tool can provide

ContourPV tool with photovoltaics performance data for each combination.

2. ContourPV tool uses the same diktat file format and graphical interface as ADEPT for input.

Output• Output includes raw data table, contour

plots, and diktat file.• Contour plots are in next column.

Rear Heterojunction