Simulation Of Solar Cells Research Articles

Pyrazino[2,3-g]quinoxaline core-based organic liquid crystalline semiconductor: Proficient hole transporting material for optoelectronic devices

Hole transport materials (HTMs) have a significant impact on the effectiveness of organic electronic devices; therefore, we present a molecular architecture of pyrazino[2,3-g]quinoxaline (PQ10)-based room-temperature organic liquid crystalline semiconductor (OLCS) as an alternative HTM. The PQ10 compound exhibits three different rectangular columnar (Colr) phases offering an impressive hole mobility of 8.8 × 10−3 cm2V−1s−1 which is found to be dexterous than most of existing polymeric hole transport materials. The charge transport mechanism is governed by the hole polarons hopping through H-aggregates of the PQ10 molecules and the hole mobility remains nearly constant throughout the mesophase range, but it decreases with increasing applied electric field. The current-voltage characteristics of the PQ10 have also been investigated in all three Colr phases and explained via the Poole-Frenkel conduction mechanism. The dielectric spectroscopy has been eventually carried out to understand the nature of dielectric permittivity and conductivity as a function of temperature and a correlation is established between the molecular architecture of the Colr phases and aforementioned physical properties. Solar cell simulation has been additionally performed to demonstrate that the PQ10 material can be a better choice as HTM for organic electronics and photovoltaic applications.

Thermal and Electrical Analyses of Organometallic Halide Solar Cells

Abstract For organometallic halide solar cells (OHSC), it is expected that their performance in hot climates is to be challenged by high operating temperature conditions typical of these regions. This study explores, for the first time, the performance of formamidinium tin iodide (FASnI3) solar cells under variations of seasonal and climatic conditions in Nigeria using a non-steady- state thermal model. From the thermal analysis, results show that the air temperature in the location of the solar cell under study played a significant role in the increase and decrease of the rate of the overall heat transfer coefficient of the OHSC. However, the cell temperature depended on the rate of heat loss and the solar radiation absorbed by the OHSC. The electrical analysis was based on the numerical simulation of a FASnI3 solar cell with the aid of a Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS). A decrease in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) as the cell temperature increased was observed. Overall, while the OHSC suffered losses in efficiency in all locations during the hot season, the wet season saw an improvement in the PCE, especially in Twon-Brass (0.5% increase) where the most heat loss and least insolation were recorded. This shows that the power conversion efficiency of an operating OHSC is temperature-dependent, rather than the abundance of solar irradiance.

Experimental and numerical simulation studies of CuO thin films based solar cells

This study presents an experimental investigation into the solar performance of copper oxide (CuO) thin films. These CuO films were fabricated using the spray pyrolysis technique, and their structural, morpholigical, optical, and electrical properties were examined in relation to the effect of layer thickness. Additionally, we employed SCAPS-1D software to perform numerical simulations of CuO-based solar cells. Moreover, the band gap energy was discovered to be between 1.14 eV, 1.53 eV and 1.61. Using the four-point probe, the electrical resistivity was computed and the high conductivity found corresponds to the sample generated with a film thickness of t = 292 nm, is 7.52 (×10−3 Ω.cm)−1. The CuO/TiO2/FTO solar cell configuration showed a potential efficiency of 13.38% when the absorber layer thickness is 292 nm and the band gap value is 1.53 eV. Furthermore, based on the band gap energy value of 1.53 eV the investigation has been deepened by expanding the range of absorber layer thickness and temperature to thoroughly examine their impact on solar cell performance. Moreover, the CuO/TiO2 solar cells curves of external quantum efficiency (EQE) for various CuO layer thicknesses were determined.

Green Synthaesis Nanomaterial Zinc Oxide with Anthocyanin Extract Hylocereus polyrhizus for DSSC Application

Photovoltaic technology as an alternative to dye-sensitized third-generation solar cells is known as Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC). DSSC is a device that can convert solar energy into electrical energy. Natural dye is used because it is relatively cheap and environmentally friendly. The type colour commonly used in DSSC are chlorophyll and anthocyanin. In this study the anthocyanin extract Hylocereus polyrhizus was used because it has a high absorption value. Nanoparticles ZnO is used because it has a relatively large energy gap value and can absorb sunlight optimally. The method used in this research is a spin coating, this method uses the procedure of making a thin film on the substrate. The characterizations were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine the crystal size of the ZnO nanoparticles, to know morphology nanoparticle can use scanning electron microscope (SEM), ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectrometerer is used to determine the value of the band gap energy and solar cell simulator test to determine the efficiency value. The XRD result had a crystal size 30.74 nm. The SEM results that the shape of the particles is oval and homogeneous by agglomeration. The band gap value is 3.67 eV. The efficiency in the solar cell simulator test for the DSSC nanomaterial ZnO with anthocyanin extract Hylocereus polyrhizus was 0,29%.

Investigating the influence of ambient light spectrum on the thickness and band gap of halide-perovskite for indoor photovoltaic application

Mixed halide perovskite photovoltaic (PV) cells show remarkable efficiency under outdoor sunlight conditions, but they also have a lot of potential for use in the indoor light environment. Unfortunately, the theoretical, as well as experimental studies on the application of mixed halide perovskite photovoltaic cells for indoor light harvesting, are still lagging. Here, a perovskite PV cell has been modelled as FTO/ZnO/MAPbI3-xClx/Spiro-MeOTAD and studied its performance under AM1.5G solar spectra, Light Emitting Diode (LED) light, Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL), and Incandescent (INC) light condition by using SCAPS-1D (Version 3.3.10), solar cell simulation software. Initially, the power conversion efficiency (η) is 23.3 %, 40.08 %, 39.22 %, and 29.15 % respectively under AM 1.5, LED, CFL, and INC light. Further, the effect of the ambient lights i.e. LED, CFL and INC on the thickness and bap gap (Eg) of MAPbI3-xClx has also been carried out and achieved 41.95 %, 41.13 %, and 32.82 % efficiency accordingly. This investigation into the thickness and band gap effect of MAPbI3-xClx for indoor performance paves the way for the practical implementation of such indoor PV cells for modern Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Efficient all lead-free perovskite solar cell simulation of FASnI3/FAGeCl3 with 30% efficiency: SCAPS-1D investigation

Hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) currently receives extensive amounts of focus as one of e main study areas in photovoltaic technology, despite its significant progress and high efficiency; the PSCs face numerous issues, such as stability over time and toxic effects of lead. Recently, to address the problem of toxicity, FASnI3 is commonly used to be an absorber in perovskite solar device due to its promising performance. During this article, we formed and modeled a lead-free n-i-p perovskite solar device made of FASnI3 on i-layer and FAGeCl3 for a p-layer, FASnI3 in the n-layer using the simulator SCAPS-1D. To gain better understanding of this solar cell, various parameters impacting the device performance including thickness and doping level of i-layer, n-layer and p-layer thickness, the total i-layer density of defect and the impact of the temperature on the efficiency of device, are investigated and discussed. This new study is interesting since we added a thin layer of FASnI3 that was strongly n-doped to achieve great performance. The importance and effect of n+-FASnI3 on the device performance were showed and discussed. The efficiency of the device has been demonstrated to be affected by both the thickness and doping level of the extra layer n+-FASnI3. The Voc of the concerned device was increased to 1.1 V after adding n+-FASnI3 layer, the current density Jsc increased to 31.42 mA/cm2, the Fill Factor up to 87.33%, after including n+-FASnI3 into the PSC, a high efficiency of 30.19% can be obtained. These simulation results will allow it achievable to develop and manufacture, high-efficiency, with no-lead PSCs.

Optimization and Performance Analysis of a TiO2/i-CH3NH3SnBr3/CsPbI3/Al(BSF) Heterojunction Perovskite Solar Cell for Enhanced Efficiency.

This paper reports the simulation and optimization of heterojunction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a proposed structure of TiO2/i-CH3NH3SnBr3/CsPbI3/Al(BSF) using SCAPS-1D software. The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of the PSC with CsPbI3 perovskite active layers and i-CH3NH3SnBr3 as the permeable layer. Therefore, the thicknesses of the layers of the heterojunction perovskite are modified in order to find a better conversion efficiency of the solar cell, where the latter's performance is improved by optimizing the absorber's thickness, which is found to be 1 μm, with a permeable layer of 15 μm. The device efficiency of the i-CH3NH3SnBr3/CsPbI3 heterojunction is improved to 38.98%, and optimized parameters are Voc = 1.21 mV, Jsc = 35.63 mA/cm2, and FF = 89.84%. The acceptor concentration (Na), donor concentration (Nd), defect density, and series and shunt resistances are also investigated.

Modeling of Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide Solar Cells with Various Buffers Using SCAPS‐1D

Recently, researchers have shown a strong interest in research on quaternary semiconductor copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) photovoltaic cells. These cells have a high absorption coefficient, a direct bandgap, and excellent electrical properties. However, the toxicity of cadmium (Cd) in the cadmium sulfide (CdS) buffer layer in standard CZTS solar cells, can generate severe environmental contamination that is hazardous to humans. As a result, building a Cd‐free CZTS solar cell is critical. Meanwhile, given that the peak power conversion efficiency of CZTS solar cells stands at a modest 11%, this study is dedicated to identifying an optimal approach for replacing the environmentally hazardous CdS layers to enhance overall efficiency. SCAPS‐1D is a one‐dimensional solar cell simulation program commonly used to examine proposed solar cells without building them. This study highlights the performance of CZTS with various nontoxic buffer layers, as well as the key results obtained through numerical research with SCAPS‐1D.

Design of optimized photonic-structure and analysis of adding a SiO2 layer on the parallel CH3NH3PbI3/CH3NH3SnI3 perovskite solar cells

So far, remarkable achievements have been obtained by optimizing the device architecture and modeling of solar cells is a precious and very effective way to comprehend a better description of the physical mechanisms in solar cells. As a result, this study has inspected two-dimensional simulation of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to achieve a precise model. The solution which has been employed is based on the finite element method (FEM). First, the periodically light trapping (LT) structure has been replaced with a planar structure. Due to that, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSC was obtained at 14.85%. Then, the effect of adding an SiO2 layer to the LT structure as an anti-reflector layer was investigated. Moreover, increasing the PCE of these types of solar cells, a new structure including a layer of CH3NH3SnI3 as an absorber layer was added to the structure of PSCs in this study, which resulted in 25.63 mA/cm2 short circuit current (Jsc), 0.96 V open circuit voltage (Voc), and 20.48% PCE.

The device simulation of MXene-added hole-transport free perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) without hole transport layer (HTL) based on organic and inorganic metal halide perovskite have received vast consideration in recent years. For predigestion of device structure and construction process, the exclusion of the HTL is a marvelous way. By detaching the HTL part of the devices, we could reduce the cost and complexity of the structures. Currently, a novel 2D material named Ti3C2 MXene with high electron mobility, excellent metallic conductivity and functionalized surface groups applied for tuning the energy offsets has been reported to be added in the perovskite absorber layer, leading to a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE) improvement. In this work, the role of MXenes in controlling the work function of the involved layers to modify the band alignment towards better performance of the cells is explained. Two HTL free structures of FTO/mTiO2/cTiO2/MAPbI3/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au named as HFRC, and FTO/mTiO2+MXene/cTiO2+MXene/MXene/MAPbI3+MXene/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au named as HFMC were simulated by SCAPS-1D software to study the response of the photovoltaic devices and obtain the highest possible efficiency considering the physics behind. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time such structures and the results of the current simulation are studied that may be used as a guideline for other practical purposes. We present a modeling procedure that optimizes the thickness of the involved layers and specifies the optimum level of the doping concentration. We also show that by optimizing the work function of the back contact, the device performance witnesses a significant improvement, proving the considerable role of the back contact in these cells. The simulated HTL-free devices illustrate attainably PCEs of about 20.32% and 21.04% for the cells without and with MXene, under AM 1.5G illumination and absorption up to 760 (nm).

Numerical simulation and optimization of lead-based perovskite solar cell with inorganic HTL using SCAPS-1D

Numerical simulation and optimization of lead-based perovskite solar cell with inorganic HTL using SCAPS-1D

Numerical simulation and investigation of a high-performance solar cell based on CdS/CdTe using MoOx and Cu2Te interlayers

Numerical simulation and investigation of a high-performance solar cell based on CdS/CdTe using MoOx and Cu2Te interlayers

A Review of the Technological Advances in the Design of Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

The search for renewable and sustainable energy for energy security and better environmental protection against hazardous emissions from petro-based fuels has gained significant momentum in the last decade. Towards this end, energy from the sun has proven to be reliable and inexhaustible. Therefore, better light harvesting technologies have to be sought. Herein, the current trends in the development of perovskite solar cells with a focus on device engineering, band alignment, device fabrication with superior light harvesting properties, and numerical simulation of solar cell architectures are critically reviewed. This work will form the basis for future scientist to have a better scientific background on the design of highly efficient solar cell devices, which are cost-effective to fabricate, highly stable, and eco-friendly. This review presents thorough essential information on perovskite solar cell technology and tracks methodically their technological performance overtime. The photovoltaic (PV) technology can help to reduce pollution related to greenhouse gas emissions, criterion pollutant emissions, and emissions from heavy metals and radioactive species by nearly 90%. Following the introduction of highly efficient perovskite solar cell (PSC) technologies, the problems associated with stability, short life-time and lead-based perovskite solar cell configurations have significantly been minimized. The fabrication and simulation of perovskite solar cells has been made possible with advanced technologies and state-of-the-art computational codes. Furthermore, device simulation strategies have lately been used to understand, select appropriate materials, and gain insights into solar cell devices’ physical behavior in order to improve their performances. Numerical simulation softwares such as the 1-dimenional solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D), Silvaco ATLAS, and wx-analysis of microelectronic and photonic structures (wxAMPS) used to understand the device engineering of solar cells are critically discussed. Because of the need to produce charge collection selectivity, hole transport materials (HTMs) as well as electron transport materials (ETMs) constitute essential PSC components. In this work, the synthesis of inorganic HTMs, as well as their characteristics and uses in various PSCs comprising mesoporous and planar designs, are explored in detail. It is anticipated that the performance of inorganic HTLs on PSCs would encourage further research which will have a significant influence on the future designs and fabrication of highly efficient solar cells.

Controlled conduction band offset in Sb2Se3 solar cell through introduction of (Zn,Sn)O buffer layer to improve photovoltaic performance: A simulation study

Enhancing the performance of antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) solar cells is significantly influenced by the optimization of the absorber/buffer junction. A wider bandgap buffer layer is suggested as a substitute for the traditional CdS buffer layer, for achieving this purpose. To enhance the short-circuit current density (Jsc) and mitigate parasitic absorption of Sb2Se3 cells, this study introduces zinc tin oxide (Zn,Sn)O as a substitute buffer layer instead of the narrow-bandgap and toxic CdS material. This study focuses on the simulation and numerical analysis of Sb2Se3 solar cells with (Zn,Sn)O buffer layer using the SCAPS (Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator) software. The photovoltaic performance was evaluated by investigating the impact of different fractions of x = Sn/(Zn + Sn) in the Zn1-xSnxO layer. The reduction of interface recombination and improvement of open-circuit voltage (Voc) can be attained by optimizing the band alignment through the Zn1-xSnxO layer. The most favorable interface between the Sb2Se3 and Zn1-xSnxO layers is attained when x = 0.2. In a traditional Sb2Se3/TiO2/CdS cell, the interface between the absorber and buffer layers has a −0.4 eV conduction band offset (CBO). The utilization of a Zn0.8Sn0.2O buffer layer causes an upward shift of the conduction band and a reduction of the negative CBO to −0.16 eV. Consequently, due to the wider gap between the conduction band of the Zn0.8Sn0.2O and the valence band of the Sb2Se3, interface recombination is reduced. According to the simulation results, the efficiency of the simulated Sb2Se3/TiO2/Zn0.8Sn0.2O cell is increased to 14.6%, representing a significant improvement compared to the conventional Sb2Se3/TiO2/CdS cell.

Simulation and analysis of high-performance hole transport material SrZrS3-based perovskite solar cells with a theoretical efficiency approaching 26%

To process the toxicity and stability issues of hybrid lead halide perovskites, we suggest chalcogenide perovskites as an actual alternative family of material-based solar cells. Zr-based chalcogenides AZrS3 (A = Ba, Ca, or Sr) are the most studied family of chalcogenide perovskites for optoelectronic applications, thanks to their low cost, strong absorbency, and high PCE. A device simulation of SrZrS3 as an absorbing material solar cell, as well as a proposal of low-cost Hole Transport Materials HTMs (Cu2O, CuSCN, and NiOx), were achieved by using the software SCAPS-1D. The key parameters (thickness, doping concentration (NA), and temperature) for each configuration are varied to inspect their impact on the device’s performance. In the interest of replacing the highly expensive gold (Au) electrode, the functionality of the metal work function was also investigated. As a result, we have found that for SrZrS3, the optimized configuration is: Ni (metal back contact)/NiOx (HTM)/SrZrS3 (Absorber)/ZnO (ETM)/FTO, which delivered at 400 K: a PCE of 25.97%, a VOC of 1.18 V, a JSC of 26.13 mA/cm2 and an FF of 84.29%.

Experimental and computational studies of CCTS material: Novel design of solar cell for high efficiency

This paper focuses on the performance of Cu2CoSnS4 (CCTS)-based solar cell in the context of thin film technology, which has received less attention compared to its CZTS-based counterpart. The research work aims to bridge this knowledge gap by examining the efficiency of CCTS-based cell in an eco-friendly frame. Indeed, it reports on the thermal evaporation of CCTS thin film on glass substrate and numerical simulation of a CCTS-based solar cell using SCAPS 1D software. The basic characteristics of CCTS film are studied by UV–VIS and PL techniques revealing high absorption coefficient of 104 and bandgap energy of 1.4 eV which allow it to absorb a significant portion of the solar spectrum leading to an enhanced photon-to-electricity conversion. The next step suggests the modelling of new photovoltaic structure including such material as absorber: Ag/ZnO/In2S3/CCTS/Pt. The CCTS cell shows a promising conversion efficiency of 14.76% after an overall optimization of buffer and absorber layers. The upgraded efficiency is related to the improvement of short current density to 28.824 mA/cm2 and FF to 63.6% while open-circuit voltage remains unchanged. This positive impact is originated from the reduction of barrier at buffer/absorber interface with the increasing of absorber layer affinity resulting in the fall of cliff-like conduction band offset CBO, accordingly electrons can easily reach the front contact. The obtained values are compared withhigh-efficient solar cells which will motivate the manufacture of a similar device.

Improving the efficiency of ZnO/WS2/CZTS1 solar cells using CZTS2 as BSF layer by SCAPS-1D numerical simulation

With a high absorption coefficient and tunable bandgap CZTS (Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide) makes it suitable for photovoltaic applications. Present paper deals with the simulation and modeling of CZTS-based solar cells using tungsten disulfide (WS2) as the buffer layer and CZTS2 as the back surface field (BSF) layer to study the performance of the solar cell. Considering different physical and geometrical parameters such as thickness, acceptor density, interfacial defect density, and metal contact work functions the device calibration has been done. The temperature is varied from 300 K to 400 K to study the impact on device performance. The C-V and 1/C2 plot is presented to calculate the built-in voltage for the device. The series (Rs) and shunt (Rsh) resistance of 1 and 106 ohm.cm2 were kept throughout the simulation. The optimized thickness for the absorber, BSF, buffer, and window layers are 800 nm, 140 nm, 30 nm, and 90 nm respectively. The obtained results are validated using the experimental results available in the literature. Varying the values of different parameters, the optimal efficiency of 26% was reported in this work. Contrary to conventional solar cells, which contain expensive and toxic elements, WS2 may be a good option as a buffer layer in CZTS solar cells.

Simulation and optimization of Perovskite-based CQDs solar cells

Simulation and optimization of Perovskite-based CQDs solar cells

Simulation of MASnI3-based inverted perovskite solar cells with double hole transport layers and an electron transport layer

A model of CH3NH3SnI3 (MASnI3)-based inverted perovskite solar cell (PSC) with double hole transport layers (HTLs) and an electron transport layer (ETL) was established, and the device was studied using solar capacitance simulator (SCAPS). Compared with a single HTL, the double HTLs of CuI/MoO3 can improve device performance significantly. Among six ETLs, WS2 has been found to be the best ETL. Then, the effects of absorber layer thickness, CuI/MoO3 thickness, the defect density and doping density of the absorption layer, and metal electrode work function on device performance have been investigated in detail. According to the simulation results, the optimum thickness of MASnI3 is 500 nm, and the both CuI and MoO3 layers should be as thick as 20 nm. To achieve the ideal efficiency, the defect density of the absorption layer should be as low as 1 × 1014 cm−3, and its doping density should be 1 × 1016 cm−3. Moreover, the metal work function should be less than 4.42 eV to avoid the formation of a Schottky barrier at the WS2/metal interface. After optimization, the device can reach the highest efficiency of 28.13%. Our simulation results will help advance the manufacturing of high-performance Pb-free perovskite solar cells in the future.

Comprehensive device simulation of barium silicide solar cells with diverse ETMs and HTMs

The photovoltaic performances of n-i-p or inverted p-i-n BaSi2 homojunction solar cells are limited by the parasitic high light absorption of n-BaSi2 or p-BaSi2 window layer. In this work, diverse electron transport materials (ETMs) and hole transport materials (HTMs) are employed instead of BaSi2 as window layers to promote the performances of BaSi2 solar cells, and the effects of different ETMs and HTMs were simulated and comprehensively studied. For n-ETM/i-BaSi2/p-BaSi2 solar cells, the solar cell with ZnO exhibits the highest efficiency of 28.21%. As increasing the thicknesses of ETM layer from 5[Formula: see text]nm to 100[Formula: see text]nm, the efficiency for n-BaSi2/i-BaSi2/p-BaSi2 solar cell decreases seriously from 24.52% to 15.99%, while the solar cells with wide band gap ETMs including SnO2, TiO2 and ZnO show neglectable change in performances. The performances n-ETM/i-BaSi2/p-BaSi2 solar cells are affected by donor like defects more than acceptor like defects in i-BaSi2. For p-HTM/i-BaSi2/n-BaSi2 solar cells, employing Cu2O, CuI, CuSCN or NiO as HTM layer produces evident valence band discrepancies at HTM/i-BaSi2 interfaces. Heavy doping in HTM layer is necessary desired to overcome the energy band barriers. As increasing the thicknesses of HTM layer from 5 nm to 100 nm, the efficiency for p-BaSi2/i-BaSi2/n-BaSi2 solar cell also decreases from 24.52% to 15.99%, while the solar cells with wide band gap HTMs including CuI, CuSCN and NiO show neglectable change, and the efficiency for p-Cu2O/i-BaSi2/n-BaSi2 solar cells decreases slightly from 25.86% to 24.88%. The performances of p-HTM/i-BaSi2/n-BaSi2 solar cells are affected by acceptor like defects more than donor like defects in i-BaSi2.