The influence of various parameters such as buffer intrinsic layers, back-surface fields, densities of interface defects (D(it)), the resistivity of p-type silicon substrates (rho) and then work function of transparent conductive oxide (phi(TCO)) on heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer (HIT) solar cell performance was investigated using software simulation. Automat for the simulation of heterostructures (AFORS-HET) software was used for that purpose. Our results indicate that band bending, which is determined by the band offsets at the buffer intrinsic/c-Si and/or the c-Si/back-surface field heterointerface, could be critical to solar cell performance. The effect of band bending on solar cell performance and the dependence of cell performance on rho and phi(TCO) were investigated in detail. Eventually, suggestive design parameters for HIT solar cell fabrication are proposed. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.