¹Research Center in Industrial Technologies CRTI,
P.O. Box 64, Cheraga 16014 Algiers, Algeria
²University Mohamed Khider of Biskra, Algeria
³University Mouloud Mammeri of Tizi Ouzou, Algeria
⁴University of Lorraine, CNRS, IJL, F-54000 Nancy, France
*Corresponding author e-mail: elect_babes@yahoo.fr

Abstract. In this work, we carried out the study of electrical characteristics with two-dimensional numerical analysis by using the Aided Design (TCAD Silvaco) software for CdS/CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) thin solar cells. Their structure is composed of a thin CIGS solar cell in the configuration: ZnO(200 nm)/CdS(50 nm)/CIGS (350 nm)/Mo. Then ZnO is used for conductive oxide contacted transparent front of the cell. For rear contact, the molybdenum (Mo) is used. The layer of the CdS window and the shape of the CIGS absorber is the n-p semiconductor heterojunction. The performance of the cell was evaluated by applying the defects created in the grain joints of polycrystalline CdS and CIGS material and CIGS/CdS interface in the model, and the physical parameters used in the TCAD simulations have been calibrated to reproduce experimental data. The J–V characteristics are simulated under AM1.5 illumination conditions. The conversion efficiency (η) 20.10% has been reached, and the other characteristic parameters have been simulated: the open-circuit voltage (Voc) is 0.68 V, the circuit-current density (Jsc) is equal to 36.91 mA/cm2, and the form factor (FF) is 0.80. The simulation results showed that the molar fraction x of the CIGS layer has an optimal value around 0.31 corresponding to a gap energy of 1.16 eV, this result is in very good agreement with that found experimentally.

Keywords:physical models, TCAD Silvaco, CIGS solar cell, heterojunction.

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