Effect of the interface states on the cell parameters of a thin film quasi-monocrystalline porous silicon as an active layer

Unlike crystalline silicon, quasi-monocrystalline porous silicon (QMPS) layers have a top surface with small voids in the body. What is more pertinent to the present study is the fact that, at a given wavelength of interest for solar cells, these layers are often reported, in the literature, to have a higher absorption coefficient than crystalline silicon. The present study builds on existing literature, suggesting an analytical model that simulates the performance of an elementary thin QMPS (as an active layer) solar cell. Accordingly, the effects that the interface states located at the void–silicon interface and that the porosity of this material have on the cell parameters are investigated. Furthermore, the effects of the optimum base doping, QMPS thickness, and porosity on the photovoltaic parameters were taken into consideration. The results show that the optimum base doping depends on the QMPS thickness and porosity. For an 8 μm thickness, the film QMPS layer gives a 35.4 mA/cm2 for short-circuit current density, 15% for conversion efficiency, and 527 mV for open-circuit voltage when the value of the interface states is about 1012 cm−2 and the base doping is about 2×1018 cm−3 under AM 1.5 conditions.