Synopsys Inc., a provider of software and IP for semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing, says the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has adopted Synopsys' Sentaurus TCAD for simulating solar cell characteristics to improve performance.
Sentaurus TCAD's simulations include the definition of the solar radiation incident on the cell, its reflection and transmission through anti-reflective coatings and surface texturing, and the absorption of the light and conversion to electrical current within semiconductor regions of the cell.
NREL has implemented Sentaurus TCAD to create solar cell models illustrating how material properties, grain boundaries, non-uniformity and interdigitated designs affect both device performance and characterization.
SOURCE: Synopsys
