Effect of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te Back Surface Interfacial Layer on Cadmium Telluride Thin Film Solar Cell Performance from Numerical Analysis
Even though substantial advances made in the device configuration of the frontal layers of the superstrate cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell device have contributed to conversion efficiency, unresolved challenges remain in regard to controlling the self-compensation and minority carrier recombinat...
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/5/848 |
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| author | Muhammad Najib Harif Camellia Doroody Allina Nadzri Hasrul Nisham Rosly Nur Irwany Ahmad Mustapha Isah Nowshad Amin |
| author_facet | Muhammad Najib Harif Camellia Doroody Allina Nadzri Hasrul Nisham Rosly Nur Irwany Ahmad Mustapha Isah Nowshad Amin |
| author_sort | Muhammad Najib Harif |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Even though substantial advances made in the device configuration of the frontal layers of the superstrate cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell device have contributed to conversion efficiency, unresolved challenges remain in regard to controlling the self-compensation and minority carrier recombination at the back contact that limits the efficiency. In this study, a SCAPS-1D simulator was used to analyze the loss mechanism and performance limitations due to the band-bending effect upon copper chloride treatment and subsequent Cu<sub>2</sub>Te layer formation as the back contact buffer layer. The optimal energy bandgap range for the proposed back surface layer of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te is derived to be in the range of 1.1 eV to 1.3 eV for the maximum conversion efficiency, i.e., around 21.3%. Moreover, the impacts of absorber layer’s carrier concentration with respect to CdTe film thickness, bandgap, and operational temperature are analyzed. The optimized design reveals that the acceptor concentration contributes significantly to the performance of the CdTe devices, including spectral response. Consequently, the optimized thickness of the CdTe absorber layer with a Cu-based back contact is found to be 2.5 µm. Moreover, the effect of temperature ranging from 30 °C to 100 °C as the operating condition of the CdTe thin-film solar cells is addressed, which demonstrates an increasing recombination tread once the device temperature exceeds 60 °C, thus affecting the stability of the solar cells. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:49:44Z |
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| id | doaj.art-70c24383a44b422198f187154263941b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:49:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Crystals |
| spelling | doaj.art-70c24383a44b422198f187154263941b2023-11-18T01:01:02ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522023-05-0113584810.3390/cryst13050848Effect of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te Back Surface Interfacial Layer on Cadmium Telluride Thin Film Solar Cell Performance from Numerical AnalysisMuhammad Najib Harif0Camellia Doroody1Allina Nadzri2Hasrul Nisham Rosly3Nur Irwany Ahmad4Mustapha Isah5Nowshad Amin6College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (@The Energy University), Jalan Ikram-UNITEN, Kajang 43000, Selangor, MalaysiaCollege of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (@The Energy University), Jalan Ikram-UNITEN, Kajang 43000, Selangor, MalaysiaFaculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Cawangan Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Pilah 72000, MalaysiaCollege of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (@The Energy University), Jalan Ikram-UNITEN, Kajang 43000, Selangor, MalaysiaCollege of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (@The Energy University), Jalan Ikram-UNITEN, Kajang 43000, Selangor, MalaysiaCollege of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (@The Energy University), Jalan Ikram-UNITEN, Kajang 43000, Selangor, MalaysiaCollege of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (@The Energy University), Jalan Ikram-UNITEN, Kajang 43000, Selangor, MalaysiaEven though substantial advances made in the device configuration of the frontal layers of the superstrate cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell device have contributed to conversion efficiency, unresolved challenges remain in regard to controlling the self-compensation and minority carrier recombination at the back contact that limits the efficiency. In this study, a SCAPS-1D simulator was used to analyze the loss mechanism and performance limitations due to the band-bending effect upon copper chloride treatment and subsequent Cu<sub>2</sub>Te layer formation as the back contact buffer layer. The optimal energy bandgap range for the proposed back surface layer of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te is derived to be in the range of 1.1 eV to 1.3 eV for the maximum conversion efficiency, i.e., around 21.3%. Moreover, the impacts of absorber layer’s carrier concentration with respect to CdTe film thickness, bandgap, and operational temperature are analyzed. The optimized design reveals that the acceptor concentration contributes significantly to the performance of the CdTe devices, including spectral response. Consequently, the optimized thickness of the CdTe absorber layer with a Cu-based back contact is found to be 2.5 µm. Moreover, the effect of temperature ranging from 30 °C to 100 °C as the operating condition of the CdTe thin-film solar cells is addressed, which demonstrates an increasing recombination tread once the device temperature exceeds 60 °C, thus affecting the stability of the solar cells.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/5/848energysolar photovoltaic cellscadmium telluridethin filmSCAPSdoping concentration |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad Najib Harif Camellia Doroody Allina Nadzri Hasrul Nisham Rosly Nur Irwany Ahmad Mustapha Isah Nowshad Amin Effect of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te Back Surface Interfacial Layer on Cadmium Telluride Thin Film Solar Cell Performance from Numerical Analysis Crystals energy solar photovoltaic cells cadmium telluride thin film SCAPS doping concentration |
| title | Effect of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te Back Surface Interfacial Layer on Cadmium Telluride Thin Film Solar Cell Performance from Numerical Analysis |
| title_full | Effect of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te Back Surface Interfacial Layer on Cadmium Telluride Thin Film Solar Cell Performance from Numerical Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te Back Surface Interfacial Layer on Cadmium Telluride Thin Film Solar Cell Performance from Numerical Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te Back Surface Interfacial Layer on Cadmium Telluride Thin Film Solar Cell Performance from Numerical Analysis |
| title_short | Effect of Cu<sub>2</sub>Te Back Surface Interfacial Layer on Cadmium Telluride Thin Film Solar Cell Performance from Numerical Analysis |
| title_sort | effect of cu sub 2 sub te back surface interfacial layer on cadmium telluride thin film solar cell performance from numerical analysis |
| topic | energy solar photovoltaic cells cadmium telluride thin film SCAPS doping concentration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/5/848 |
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