July 15, 2009 – Elaborating on an article in the July issue of PV World, Borges describes applying TCAD simulation to multijunction solar cells, which offer very high efficiencies (41%) and possess a more intricate complexity than typical cells; applying TCAD allows optimization of the visual components. Next up for TCAD: using these high-efficiency cells in concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems, in high illumination like Spain or northern Africa.

Synopsys also is applying TCAD to 3D and TSVs. “There’s a lot of challenges in terms of fabricating the TSVs, making the vias small enough, taking care of the reliability aspects, how TSVs impact the performance around the silicon,” he says. TCAD can analyze the reliability and the impact of stress on the performance of adjacent transistors.