Toward Defining Tolerances for Structural Defects in Silicon Through 2D and 3D Device Simulations

David Berney Needleman& Tonio Buonassisi Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States

We present a TCAD implementation of literature models for the recombination activity of extended structural defects in crystalline silicon (c-Si) using the software package Synopsys Sentaurus Device. The model is validated using literature and experimental EBIC, LBIC, and spatially resolved minority carrier lifetime data. This implementation can be used to determine tolerances for these defects in various materials and device architectures. As an example, the impact of these defects on front and rear-contacted c-Si homojunction solar cells is shown.