Simulation of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells for Wearable Applications

Advancements in the semiconductor industry have enabled wearable devices to be used for a wide range of applications, including personalised healthcare. Novel energy harvesting technologies are therefore necessary to ensure that these devices can be used without interruption. Crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells provide high energy density to electronic loads. However, the optimization of these cells is a complex task since their optical performance is coupled to the surroundings, while their electrical performance is influenced by the intrinsic PV characteristics and parasitic losses. Without doubt, simulation tools provide the necessary insight to PV cell performance before device fabrication takes place. However, the majority of these tools require expensive licensing fees. Thus, the aim of this article is to review the range of non-commercial PV simulation tools that can be used for wearable applications. We provide a detailed procedure for device modelling and compare the performance of these tools with previously published experimental data. According to our investigations, non-commercial 3D tools such as PC3D provide accurate simulation results that are only 1.7% different from their commercial counterpart.