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Improving the efficiency of CIGS solar cells using an optimized p-type CZTSSe electron reflector layer

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Abstract

The insertion of an electron reflector is a suitable method to enhance the open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cells. By the electron reflector, an electron barrier is formed at the conduction band, which can considerably reduce the recombination rate at the rear interface. In this paper, the copper zinc tin sulfide-selenide (Cu2ZnSn(S1−xSex)4) as an electron reflector is implemented on the thin‐film CIGS reference cell with a world record efficiency of 23.3%, then the properties of the proposed CIGS solar cell are numerically studied. The bandgap alignment at the Cu2ZnSn(S1−xSex)4/CIGS interface is adjusted by the selenium-to-sulfur ratio in the electron reflector layer. Simulation results show that an enhanced Voc was achieved in the CIGS solar cell with Cu2ZnSn(S1−xSex)4 (x < 0.7) owing to the presence of a proper electron barrier and reduced recombination at the back surface. The short-circuit current density (Jsc) values improved as the selenium fraction in the Cu2ZnSn(S1−xSex)4 electron reflector layer decreased (x < 0.7) because the photon absorption was considerably increased in the spectral region from 1000 to 1250 nm wavelength. A CIGS solar cell with the optimized Cu2ZnSn(S0.8Se0.2)4 electron reflector layer exhibited an efficiency of 25.3%, which presented an 8.6% improvement in comparison with the reference CIGS solar cell.

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taken from the fabricated cell [35]

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

    Fatemeh Sadat Ahmadpanah, Ali A. Orouji & Iman Gharibshahian

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  1. Fatemeh Sadat Ahmadpanah
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  2. Ali A. Orouji
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Correspondence to Ali A. Orouji.

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Ahmadpanah, F.S., Orouji, A.A. & Gharibshahian, I. Improving the efficiency of CIGS solar cells using an optimized p-type CZTSSe electron reflector layer. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 32, 22535–22547 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-06740-6

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