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Modeling Edge Effects Of Mesa Diodes For Silicon Photovoltaics, Jesse S. Appel

Dissertations

A mesa diode has been modeled and its performance under dark and illuminated conditions has been simulated using a commercial finite element software package. These simulations have led to a determination of the self-consistent solution to the continuity equations for electrons and holes using the steady-state drift-diffusion model for carrier dynamics coupled with electric potential determined from Poisson's equation. The purpose of these simulations has been to determine the influence of edge conditions on the overall performance of mesa diodes under dark and illuminated conditions.

Mesa diode arrays are fabricated on crystalline silicon solar cells. They are an array of …