Step-by-step procedure and criteria for a p–n junction solar cell design

Abstract. A theoretical p–n junction photovoltaic device design procedure is proposed. The procedure comprises optical and electrical analyses to determine the device structure, including material selection, layer dimensions, doping concentrations, and performance characterization. This procedure is complemented by designing criteria, numerical modeling, and simulation algorithms. The practical implementation, including physical fabrication and practical measurements, was performed. A cadmium sulfide/cadmium telluride heterojunction film is used for the practical implementation, and the exciton generation rate is used to determine the improvement and optimization rules. Further, a correlation of theoretical and practical results is realized based on the improvement and optimization rules. The obtained results demonstrate the functionality of the proposed procedure, which can be adapted for different device structures and materials. The findings of this study are of great interest to designers and engineers interested in correlating theoretical results with practical measurements.