Experimental, theoretical, and numerical simulation of the performance of CuInxGa(1-x) S2-based solar cells

In this study, the absorber layers CuInGaS2 (CIGS) and CuInS2 (CIS) were deposited on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis after optimization of the operating parameters. The deposition is carried out during a spray duration of 30 min, and then the samples underwent a heat treatment at the annealing temperature of 370 degrees C for 20 min, the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of thin CIS and CIGS were examined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. All optical parameters, such as band gap energy, refractive index, extinction coefficient and dielectric constant were extracted using visible UV spectroscopy; the semiconductor aspect of the films is shown by Four Point Probe Method. The performance of the CIS and CIGS-based solar cells was evaluated numerically using the SCAPS simulator. The effects of structural and physical parameters, such as thickness, shallow acceptor density and gap energy of the CIGS absorber layer were studied. Simulation results have shown that it is not necessary to use an absorbent layer too wide to achieve the compromise between efficiency and cost for mass production. The effect of the operating temperature showed that the performance of the cell is affected at higher temperature. These numerical studies essentially contribute to understanding the performance of the CIS and CIGS solar cell and provide an appropriate path for efficient solar cell fabrication with precise control of process parameters.