AFORS-HET: numerical simulation of Solar Cells and Measurements

When publishing work that includes the results of AFOES-HET simulations, the following reference should be cited:

R. Varache, C. Leendertz, M. E. Gueunier-Farret, J. Haschke, D. Muñoz, and L. Korte. “Investigation of Selective Junctions Using a Newly Developed Tunnel Current Model for Solar Cell Applications.” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 141 (2015) 14–23. doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2015.05.014.

AFORS-HET features:

• Modelling of an arbitrary 1D sequence of semiconducting layers and interfaces
• Equilibrium EQ, steady-state DC, small sinusoidal pertubation AC and general transient TR calculation mode
• Arbitrary parameter variations and parameter fitting
• Simulation of internal cell parameters:
  band diagram, local cell currents, recombination, phase shifts, ...
• Simulation of various measurement techniques:
  
  • DC measurements

    current-voltage I-V
    quantum efficiency QE
    photo and electro luminescence PEL
    quasi steady state surface photovoltage SPV
    quasi steady state photoconductance QSS-PC
    Goodman measurement

  • AC measurements

    impedance IMP
    capacitance voltage C-V
    capacitance temperature C-T
    

  • TR measurements

    transient surface photovoltage decay, TR-SPV
    transient photo electro luminescence, TR-PEL
    transient photoconductance decay, TR-PC

  • I-V 2D network simulation
  • calculation of I-V curves according to 1-diode model (new in v2.4.1)
• Optical modelling:
  
  • Lambert-Beer Absorption with multiple passes through the layer stack (new in v2.4.1)
  • coherent or incoherent multiple reflection
• Interface modelling:
  
  • no interface / drift diffusion interface
  • thermionic emission interface
  • intra-band and Schottky barrier tunneling through spikes in the conduction and valence bands at interfaces (new in v2.5)
• Boundary modelling
  
  • Schottky / Schottky-Bardeen metal/semicoductor contact
  • metal/insulator/semiconductor contact
  • ideal electron- / hole-contact (new in v2.4.1)
  • insulator boundary (new in v2.4.1)
• Layer modelling
  • recombination
    
    • Shockey-Read-Hall recombination
    • Auger recombination: constant coefficients; according to PC1D; according to Altermatt; according to Kerr/Cuevas (new in v2.4.1); according to Richter et al. (new in v2.5)
    • band-to-band recombination
  • super bandgap generation, sub bandgap generation
  • layer of crystalline Silicon (dependance on doping and temperature)
  • functional dependance of the electrical layer properties (linear, gaussian, error function, exponential) (new in v2.4.1)
  • additional charge transport path through trap-assisted tunneling in high electric field regions of bulk materials (Hurkx model) (new in v2.5)