Sesame: a 2-dimensional solar cell modeling tool

Area of Science:

• Computational Physics
• Materials Science
• Semiconductor Device Physics

Background:

• Classical semiconductor equations require robust numerical tools for accurate simulation.
• Modeling extended defects like grain boundaries and surfaces is crucial for understanding device performance.
• Efficient exploration of parameter space and visualization of charge transport are key challenges in semiconductor research.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce "Sesame," a novel software package for numerical computation of semiconductor equations.
• Provide tools for simulating 1D and 2D systems, including extended defects.
• Facilitate rapid parameter space exploration and visualization of local charge transport properties.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new software package, "Sesame," supporting 1D and 2D semiconductor simulations.
• Implementation of features for easily incorporating extended defects (grain boundaries, surfaces).
• Benchmarking Sesame against existing software packages for validation.

Main Results:

• Sesame successfully performs numerical computations for classical semiconductor equations.
• The software allows for the implementation and analysis of extended defects.
• Validated results for single crystal and polycrystalline CdS-CdTe heterojunctions demonstrate Sesame's accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Sesame offers a valuable tool for researchers in semiconductor physics and materials science.
• The package facilitates efficient simulation and analysis of semiconductor devices with defects.
• Availability as a Python package or standalone GUI application enhances accessibility.