Numerical Simulation of Cu2ZnSnS4 Based Solar Cells with In2S3 Buffer Layers by SCAPS-1D

Peijie Lin; Lingyan Lin; Jinling Yu; Shuying Cheng; Peimin Lu; Qiao Zheng

doi:10.6180/jase.2014.17.4.05

Numerical Simulation of Cu2ZnSnS4 Based Solar Cells with In2S3 Buffer Layers by SCAPS-1D

Peijie Lin¹, Lingyan Lin¹, Jinling Yu This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.¹, Shuying Cheng¹, Peimin Lu¹ and Qiao Zheng¹

¹Institute of Micro/Nano Devices and Solar Cells, School of Physics & Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, P.R. China

Received: May 5, 2014
Accepted: August 1, 2014
Publication Date: December 1, 2014

Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.6180/jase.2014.17.4.05

ABSTRACT

The performance of the Cu₂ZnSnS₄ based solar cell is investigated using a simulation program called Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS). The cell structure is based on Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) compound semiconductor as the absorber layer, n-doped and un-doped (i) zinc oxide as the window layer, In₂S₃ as the buffer layer. We study the influence of the defect density, carrier density, thickness of the CZTS absorber layer, working temperature, In₂S₃ buffer layer thickness and its carrier density on the cell performance. The simulation results illustrate that the optimal layer thickness is from 2500 to 3000 nm for the absorber layer, and that in the range of 20 to 30 nm for the buffer layer. Besides, controlling the CZTS defect density under 1 x 10¹³ cm^-3 is very necessary for high efficiency CZTS cells. The increased working temperature has a strong influence on the solar cell efficiency and the temperature coefficient is calculated to be about -0.17%/K. An optimal photovoltaic property has been achieved with an efficiency of 19.28% (with J_sc = 23.37 mA/cm² , V_oc = 0.958 V and FF = 86.13%). All these simulation results will give some important guides for feasibly fabricating higher efficiency CZTS solar cells.

Keywords: CZTS, In2S3, SCAPS, Solar Cells

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