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Improvement in the Efficiency of Thin Film CdS/CdTe Solar Cells Using Different TCO Materials

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International Congress on Energy Efficiency and Energy Related Materials (ENEFM2013)

Part of the book series: Springer Proceedings in Physics ((SPPHY,volume 155))

Abstract

CdS/CdTe heterojunction based solar cells have been considered one of the main candidates for terrestrial energy production. This work represents the theoretical results of using ZnO and its alloys as a front contact in CdS/CdTe solar cell as alternative material to expensive and not abundant ITO. The calculation of optical losses is carried out based on the multi-reflections effect and absorption in TCO and CdS layers. Both the front and back surfaces recombination of the CdTe layer are taken into account to describe the recombination losses. It has been found that using the multi-reflections effect leads to increase the ratio of transmitted light reaching the absorber layer. Both the internal and external quantum efficiency are strongly depending on the width of space-charge region. ZnO and its alloys are considered suitable alternative materials to ITO when used as front electrode in CdS/CdTe cells. ZnO:Al has the maximum short-circuit current density of 22.64 mA/cm2 at space-charge width of 0.11 μm and the corresponding optical (reflection and absorption) and recombination (front and back) losses are about 27 %. The efficiency of CdS/CdTe solar cell using ZnO:Al is about 17.9 % at certain parameters of absorber layer.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the Deanship of scientific research, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for funding and supporting this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag, 82524, Egypt

    H. A. Mohamed & N. M. A. Hadia

  2. Physics Department, Teachers College, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11148, Saudi Arabia

    H. A. Mohamed

Authors
  1. H. A. Mohamed
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  2. N. M. A. Hadia
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Correspondence to H. A. Mohamed .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gebze Institute of Technology, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey

    Ahmet Yavuz Oral

  2. Department of Environmental Engineering, Gebze Institute of Technology, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey

    Zehra Banu Bahsi

  3. Department of Physics, Istanbul Kultur University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mehmet Ozer

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Mohamed, H.A., Hadia, N.M.A. (2014). Improvement in the Efficiency of Thin Film CdS/CdTe Solar Cells Using Different TCO Materials. In: Oral, A., Bahsi, Z., Ozer, M. (eds) International Congress on Energy Efficiency and Energy Related Materials (ENEFM2013). Springer Proceedings in Physics, vol 155. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05521-3_14

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