Comprehensive Numerical Modeling of Silicon Tunnel Junction for Application in Multijunction Monolithic Solar Cells

To enhance the efficiency of solar cells, various device architectures have been proposed, among which multi-junction solar cells designed for concentrator systems are of particular interest. In such multi-junction solar cells, the interconnection of subcells via tunnel junctions is both technologically advantageous and convenient. Moreover, in modern electronics, with the continuous downscaling of semiconductor devices, tunneling currents at the interfaces of different layers become increasingly important.For the modeling of devices based on tunneling processes, particularly in silicon-based devices, a comprehensive methodology, algorithm, and corresponding models have not yet been fully established. In this work, an attempt has been made to develop such an approach for modeling, to identify appropriate models and simulation parameters that adequately reproduce the tunneling current in a tunnel junction.The study considers and compares the results obtained using the nonlocal barrier tunneling model and the Dynamic Nonlocal Path Band-to-Band Recombination model for the calculation of the current–voltage characteristics of a silicon tunnel diode. The results demonstrate that the use of the Dynamic Nonlocal Path Band-to-Band Recombination model, in combination with the classical SRH recombination model—which incorporates tunneling-assisted recombination according to the Hurkx model and accounts for the dependence of recombination parameters on the doping level, including trap-assisted recombination—provides J–V characteristics consistent with those observed in experimental tunnel junctions.