Design and Performance Analysis of CIGS Hetero junction Thin film Solar Cell

Abstract

Solar cell is one of the most promising technologies among all renewable energy newlineresources. Nowadays, worldwide photovoltaic technologies mostly utilize newlinemonocrystalline and multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells. Thin film solar cells newlinehave potential to fulfill the need of energy for large scale global applications. CIGS solar newlinecells, which are based on thin film technology, have drawn high attention of the newlinephotovoltaic researcher community due to its excellent optoelectronic properties. newlineFlexible and rigid both substrates can be used for deposition of CIGS layer using several newlinefabrication techniques. In conventional CIGS photovoltaic cells, CdS is taken as a buffer newlinelayer which is toxic material. CIGS solar cells have high efficiency due to their potential newlinefeatures such as large value of absorption coefficient i. e. up to 105 newlinecm-1 newlinetunable energy newlinebandgap. Efficiency of CIGS solar cells can be further increase by using various design newlinetechniques such double absorber, grading and multijunction design strategies. newlineIn present thesis, various design techniques are used to enhance the performance of newlineCIGS solar cell using SCAPS-1D software. The research is categorized in to following newlinefive sets of objectives based on design strategies and efficiency improvements of CIGS newlinethin film solar cells. newlineand#9642; Design and performance investigation of CIGS absorber layer based thin film newlinesolar cell with non-toxic buffer layer. newlineand#9642; Design and performance analysis of CIGS absorber layer based thin film solar newlinecell with hole transport layer. newlineand#9642; Design a dual CIGS absorber based solar cell and improve the efficiency by newlineoptimization of optical electrical properties. newlineand#9642; Efficiency improvement of CIGS solar cell using BSF layer and bandgap grading newlinetechnique. newlineand#9642; Design a tandem solar cell by harvesting maximum solar spectrum. newlinexx newlineThe first objective is to design CIGS solar cell with non-toxic buffer layer. In order newlineto reduce toxicity of the device, WS2, WSSe and C2N materials are taken as a buffer layer newlinein place of of CdS buffer layer.