B.

Validation of the full Drift-Diffusion resolution model

B Validation of the full Drift-Diffusion resolution model

Figure B.1: Schematic representation of the test case used for the validation.

To validate the numerical model that solves the full Drift-Diffusion equations, we used the well-
known PC-1D software [121] that is usually used to solve charge transport problems in solar
cells. We compared the results obtained with PC-1D and our simulation code on a test case (Fig.
B.1).

Figure B.2: (a): Spatial distribution of the normalized electrostatic potential. (b): Spatial distri-
bution of the electron and hole densities. Vf = 0 V, no illumination.

We considered a silicon pn-junction, where the thicknesses of the p and n-regions are both equal
to 0.5 µm. The doping level of the p-region is Na = 1019 cm−3 and the doping level of the n-
region is Nd = 1017 cm−3 . The electrical parameters of silicon have been extracted from PC-1D
and implemented in our simulation code. We considered a one sun illumination. The spatial
distribution of the generation rate was calculated with PC-1D and imported in our simulation
code. The calculated spatial distribution of the carrier densities (n and p), and of the normalized
electrostatic potential (V̄ ) are depicted in the following figures: at equilibrium (no applied voltage
and illumination) in Fig. B.2, with applied voltage and no illumination in Fig. B.3, and with

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B. Validation of the full Drift-Diffusion resolution model

illumination and applied voltage in Fig. B.4.

Figure B.3: (a): Spatial distribution of the normalized electrostatic potential. (b): Spatial distri-
bution of the electron and hole densities. Vf = 0.5 V, no illumination.

Figure B.4: (a): Spatial distribution of the normalized electrostatic potential. (b): Spatial distri-
bution of the electron and hole densities. Vf = 0.3 V, one sun illumination.

The J-V characteristics of the cell obtained with the two simulation tools are compared in Fig.
B.5. The slight difference between the two J-V characteristics represents a relative error of only
2%, and the relative difference on the maximum power output is less than 1%.

136

Cette thèse est accessible à l'adresse : http://theses.insa-lyon.fr/publication/2016LYSEI103/these.pdf

© [E. Blandre], [2016], INSA Lyon, tous droits réservés