Modeling and optimizing the CIGS thin film cell structure to increase efficiency

The CIGS thin film solar cells are one of the best choices for converting solar energy to electricity. They are extremely noticed by researchers for their high efficiency and low cost of construction. In this study, the performance and factors affecting the efficiency of solar cells have been investigated. The change in the thickness of the layers and the different values of the molar ratio of gallium are two effective factors in increasing the yield. The various parameters of the structure have been improved with the use of the Silvaco simulation software (Atlas) to provide the maximum possible returns for the structure. Therefore, in this research the efficiency of the solar cell is investigated by considering some of the most important cell curves after examining various conditions such as layer thickness variations (CIGS absorbent layer, transparent layer ZnO, CdS layer). Design of a multilayer cell with two or three different acceptor (and Ga) concentrations can have a significant effect on increasing the efficiency of these cells. The simulation results have been analyzed using theoretical relationships as well as physically, which was increased by about 5.9% compared with the original cell model and confirmed the accuracy of the structure simulation. In the end, the voltage-current curve of the base cell is plotted and extracted numerically and graphically using the TonyPlot sub-module and compared with the references. These results also suggest further characterizations to be made for the CIGS layers and the complete solar cells.