19% Efficient Thin-Film Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells From Layer Transfer Using Porous Silicon: A Loss Analysis by Means of Three-Dimensional Simulations

We present a study about loss analysis in both-sides-contacted silicon solar cells from a porous silicon (PSI) layer transfer process. Experimental results achieved by a variation of the rear-side contact geometry are characterized by different techniques such as electroluminescence and quantum efficiency measurements and reproduced by 3-D simulations using Sentaurus Device. Since such a device simulation does not include resistive losses in the metallization, we use a network simulation to account for losses caused by the grid. Considering the optimal contact geometry, the simulations indicate the power losses in the emitter, at the rear-side contacts, in the base, and in the metallization grid to be in the same order of magnitude.