Simulation of thin film solar cells using the SCAPS-1D program

Abstract

This study aims to simulate thin-film solar cells using the SCAPS-1D program. The cell with CdTe/CdS/SnOx structure was studied. We obtained the characteristics of the cell and found that the current-voltage curve and the power curve correspond to the theoretical curves of solar cells. We studied the effect of temperature on the filling modulus and cell yield. Simulation results showed that high temperature negatively affects the filling coefficient and cell efficiency. We found that the thickness of e = 3 mm for the CdTe layer in the studied cell gives the best yield for it. Its highest efficiency was at T=300K , η =13.75% the packing plant estimated at that time FF = 66.45%, while the short circuit current was estimated at Isc = 24.06 mA/cm2. The open circuit voltage under these conditions is rated Voc = 0.85 V The study showed that increasing the series resistance negatively affects the work of the studied cell, as the packing coefficient and its efficiency are almost non-existent when the series resistance is greater than 25 Ωcm2. Increasing series resistance negatively affects Isc but does not affect Voc. We found that the effect of parallel resistance on solar cell properties is almost negligible. In order to study the effect of the absorbent layer on the efficiency of the solar cell, we compared three cells: CIGS/CdS/SnOx, CZTS/CdS/SnOx, and CdTe/CdS/SnOx. We also compared the two cells ITO/CdS/CdTe/Au and ITO/ CdS/CZTS/Mo The results showed that the CdTe absorbent layer solar cell is the best. We conducted a study of the Al/ZnO /ZnO/CdS/CIGS/Mo cell in order to compare our results with the results obtained from another reference. Our results were in agreement with the experimental results and simulation results using the AFORS-HET program.