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Overview

ASPIN3 is a two-dimensional semiconductor device simulator based on the steady-state drift-diffusion model. In combination with optical simulators it can simulate the operation of various types of solar cells.

Key features

• Semiconductor device simulator
• Supports 1D and 2D structures
• Simulate various measurement results
• In-depth result analysis
• Intergration with SunShine optical simulator

Demo version

The demo version showcases the result analysis user interface of ASPIN3 simulator and cannot be used to run simulations. A ZIP packet including the demo version and a quick guide is available here: ASPIN3 demo version.

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Description

Applicability

ASPIN3 is used to simulate solar cell structures with arbitrary material parameters and 2D geometries (limited to rectangular structures). This allows ASPIN3 to simulate lateral transport, grain boundaries, mixtures of different materials... that are not possible with 1D simulators. It can simulate measurements such as:

• Current - voltage characteristics
• Quantum efficiencies
• Laser-beam-induced-current profiles
• V_oc vs. illumination intensity characteristics

Simulation results give insight in otherwise hard to determine internal solar cell parameters such as recombination profiles, current distributions and energy band diagrams.

Model

ASPIN3 is based on numerical implementation of the steady-state drift-diffusion model with thermionic emission model used to simulate transport at heterojunctions.

Supported recombination mechanisms:

• Radiative recombination
• Shockley-Read-Hall recombinations with various trap states distribution
• Auger recombination with Richter parametrization for c-Si
• Dangling bond recombinations with various trap states distribution

When calculating non-equilibrium conditions of the semiconductor structure both voltage or current controlled contacts are supported.

Supported contact interfaces:

• Ohmic contacts
• Schottky contacts
• Isolating surface
  
  

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References

Publications

Original scientific article

• FILIPIČ, Miha, HOLMAN, Zachary, SMOLE, Franc, DE WOLF, Stefaan, BALLIF, Christophe, TOPIČ, Marko. Analysis of lateral transport through the inversion layer in amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells. J. appl. phys., 2013, vol. 114, no. 7, str.
• NERAT, Marko, SMOLE, Franc, TOPIČ, Marko. A simulation study of the effect of the diverse valence-band offset and the electronic activity at the grain boundaries on the performance of polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells. Thin solid films. [Print ed.], 2011, vol. 519, no. 21, str. 7497-7502, ilustr., doi: 10.1016/j.tsf.2010.12.100. [COBISS.SI-ID 8259156]
• NERAT, Marko, ČERNIVEC, Gregor, SMOLE, Franc, TOPIČ, Marko. Simulation study of the effects of grain shape and size on the performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells. Journal of Applied Physics. Vol. 104 (2008), [COBISS.SI-ID 6709076].
• ČERNIVEC, Gregor, JAGOMÄGI, Andri, SMOLE, Franc, TOPIČ, Marko. Numerical and experimental indication of thermally activated tunneling transport in CIS monograin layer solar cells. Solid-state electronics. Vol. 52 (2008), 78-85, [COBISS.SI-ID 6236756].
• ČERNIVEC, Gregor, KRČ, Janez, SMOLE, Franc, TOPIČ, Marko. Band-gap engineering in CIGS solar cells using Nelder-Mead simplex optimization algorithm. Thin Solid Films. Vol. 511-512 (2006), 60-65.
• VUKADINOVIĆ, Mišo, SMOLE, Franc, TOPIČ, Marko, SCHROPP, Ruud E. I., RUBINELLI, Francisco A. Transport in tunneling recombination junctions: A combined computer simulation study.Journal of Applied Physics. Vol. 96 (2004), 7289-7299.
• VUKADINOVIĆ, Mišo, SMOLE, Franc, TOPIČ, Marko, KRČ, Janez, FURLAN, Jože. Numerical modelling of trap-assisted tunnelling mechanism in a-Si:H and [mu]c-Si n/p structures and tandem cells. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. Vol. 66 (2001), 361-367.
• TOPIČ, Marko, SMOLE, Franc. Thin film color detectors based on amorphous silicon. V: 34th International Conference on Microelectronics, Devices and Materials with the Satellite Minisymposium on Semiconductor Radiation Detectors, September 23. - 25. 1998, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia.  1998, str. 37-46, graf. prikazi. [COBISS.SI-ID 1107540]
• TOPIČ, Marko, SMOLE, Franc, FURLAN, Jože, FORTUNATO, Elvira, MARTINS, Rodrigo. Analysis of front contact heterojunction in a-Si:H one-dimensional position sensitive detectors. Review of scientific instruments, ISSN 0034-6748, 1997, vol. 68, no. 3, str. 1377-1381. [COBISS.SI-ID 395860]
• SMOLE, Franc, TOPIČ, Marko, FURLAN, Jože, KUSIAN, Wilhelm. Hump-shaped internal collection efficiency of degraded a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells. Journal of applied physics, ISSN 0021-8979, 1997, vol. 82, no. 2, str. 878-882. [COBISS.SI-ID 396116]
• SMOLE, Franc, TOPIČ, Marko, FURLAN, Jože. Amorphous silicon solar cell computer model incorporating the effects of TCO/a-Si:C:H junction. Solar energy materials and solar cells, ISSN 0927-0248. [Print ed.], 1994, vol. 34, str. 385-392, graf. prikazi. [COBISS.SI-ID 415060]
• SMOLE, Franc, FURLAN, Jože. Effects of abrupt and graded a-Si:C:H/a-SI:H interface of internal properties and external characteristics od p-i-n a-Si:H solar cells. Journal of applied physics, ISSN 0021-8979, 1992, vol. 72, no. 12, str. 5964-5969. [COBISS.SI-ID 661332]
• SMOLE, Franc, FURLAN, Jože. Effects of abrupt and graded a-Si:C:H/a-SI:H interface of internal properties and external characteristics od p-i-n a-Si:H solar cells. Journal of applied physics, ISSN 0021-8979, 1992, vol. 72, no. 12, str. 5964-5969. [COBISS.SI-ID 661332]