Influence of Different Layers on Enhancing the PV Performance of Al/ZnO/ZnMnO/CIGSSe/Cu2O/Ni Solar Cells

Abstract: Copper Indium Gallium Sulfide Selenide (CIGSSe)-based solar cells, featuring Al/ZnO/ZnMnO/CIGSSe/Cu2O/Ni layers, are optimized using the solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS) for enhanced photovoltaic (PV) performance. The solar cell design incorporates a CIGSSe absorber layer, a zinc manganese oxide (ZnMnO) buffer layer, and a zinc oxide (ZnO) window layer. The upper/top and back contacts are made of aluminum (Al) and nickel (Ni), respectively, with an electron-reflected-hole transport layer (ER-HTL) of cuprous oxide (Cu2O). The performance of the proposed structure can be improved by adjusting the thicknesses of the absorber, buffer, and window layers, along with the acceptor and donor concentrations of the absorber and buffer layers, series and shunt resistance, and temperature. The configuration improves the cell structure’s open-circuit voltage (VOC), short-circuit current (JSC), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (PCE). For optimal outcomes, set the acceptor and donor concentrations in the absorber and buffer layers to 1017 and 1018 cm–3, respectively. Furthermore, keep the thicknesses of the absorber layer at 2000 nm, the window and buffer layers at 50 nm, and the ER-HTL at 10 nm. The optimized model demonstrates PV performance characteristics of 1.0642 V for VOC, 36.10 mA/cm2 for JSC, 81.06% for FF, and 31.15% for PCE under the AM1.5G spectrum. Furthermore, it exhibits a quantum efficiency of around 95.23% at visible wavelengths. © Allerton Press, Inc. 2024. ISSN 0003-701X, Applied Solar Energy, 2024, Vol. 60, No. 2, pp. 201–214. Allerton Press, Inc., 2024.