Simulation of p-CdTe and n-TiO2 Heterojunction Solar Cell Efficiency

Authors

  • Akanksha Chougale Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007; Department of Chemistry, Prof. Ramakrishna More Arts, Commerce & Science College, Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411044 https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8108-9763
  • Harshad D. Shelke Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1596-0349
  • Bikram Prasad Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007
  • Sandesh R. Jadkar Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0610-7242
  • Nithesh Naik Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India 576104 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0356-7697
  • Habib M. Pathan Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0099-2009
  • Dnyaneshwar R. Shinde Department of Chemistry, Prof. Ramakrishna More Arts, Commerce & Science College, Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411044 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2147-2301

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.57159/gadl.jcmm.2.1.23036

Keywords:

Heterojunction, Numerical simulation, Photovoltaic solar cell, SCAPS software

Abstract

The present study presents a numerical analysis of p-type CdTe and n-type TiO2 heterojunction solar cells. The simulations were conducted using SCAPS-1D software to investigate the effects of varying the thickness of the p-type CdTe layer, the temperature, and the band gap on the efficiency of the solar cell. The results show that the efficiency of the solar cell increases from 16.81 to 18.28% as the thickness of the p-type CdTe layer is varied from 1.0 to 5.0 µm and decreases from 17.95 to 11.67 % as the temperature is varied from 300 to 400 K. The efficiency also increases from 15.29 to 19.26 % as the band gap is varied from 1.40 to 1.55 eV. For the p-CdTe/n-TiO2 heterojunction solar cell, the optimized absorber layer thickness is 3 µm, and the optimized temperature and band gap are 300 K and 1.5 eV, respectively. At these optimized parameters, the highest efficiency (ⴄ) % achieved was 17.95 %, with a VOC of 0.766 V, JSC of 27.75 mA/cm2, and FF of 84.39 %. These results provide theoretical guidelines for fabricating efficient p-CdTe/n-TiO2 heterojunction solar cells.

Author Biographies

Akanksha Chougale, Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007; Department of Chemistry, Prof. Ramakrishna More Arts, Commerce & Science College, Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411044

Ms. Akanksha S. Chougale is a research scholar at the Advanced Physics Laboratory (APL), Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, India, under the guidance of Dr. D. R. Shinde and Dr. H. M. Pathan. She obtained her Masters from Shivaji University Kolhapur and started her Ph.D. in 2022. Her research interests lie in the field of chemical synthesis of oxide nanomaterials for energy and hydrogen production.

 

Harshad D. Shelke, Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007

Dr. Harshad D. Shelke is a research assistant on the DST-SERD project at the Advanced Physics Laboratory (APL), Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, India. He earned his Ph.D. in 2022 from Shivaji University Kolhapur. His research interests include the chemical synthesis of oxide and sulfide nanomaterials for energy production, photocatalytic activity, and anti-bacterial applications. He has published over 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals, with an h-index of 8 and an i-10 index of 6.

 

Bikram Prasad, Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007

Mr. Bikram Prasad is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Physics, S.M.S.G. College, Sherghati (Gaya) since 2017. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. under the guidance of Dr. H. M. Pathan, Associate Professor at Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, in the field of third-generation solar cells, focusing on QDSSCs and DSSCs. With 8 years of research experience, his work centers on nanomaterial synthesis, as well as the fabrication and characterization of ZrO2 metal oxide semiconductors.

 

Sandesh R. Jadkar, Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007

Prof. Sandesh R. Jadkar is a Senior Professor in Physics and the Director of the School of Energy Studies at Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007 (India). He obtained his M. Sc. and Ph. D. degrees in Physics from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 1990 and 2001, respectively. He also underwent postdoctoral training at the Laboratory of Physics of Interfaces and Thin Films (LPICM), Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France (2002-2003), and the Department of Physics, Camerino University, Italy (2008-2009). He is a Fellow of the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences. His research interests include low-cost thin-film solar cells, water splitting, photodetectors and sensors, and 2D materials. He has supervised 25 Ph. D. students and currently supervises 8 students for their Ph. D. degree. He has published over 250 research articles in peer-reviewed international journals and 3 book chapters.

 

Nithesh Naik, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India 576104

Prof. Nithesh Naik is an accomplished Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, India. He is also the Co-Founder and CTO of Curiouz TechLab Private Limited, located at Manipal Advanced Research Center, GoK Bioincubator, Manipal. With a diverse range of research interests and expertise, Prof. Naik's work is centered around New Product Development, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Engineering, Design Engineering, and Bio Medical Engineering. He has significant expertise in Machining of Materials, Machine Learning, Healthcare Informatics, Composite Materials, and Finite Element Analysis. Prof. Naik's research interests encompass Composite Materials, Biomechanics, Additive Manufacturing, Engineering Management, and Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. Prof. Naik is a distinguished member of I-TRUE (International Training and Research in Uro-oncology and Endourology) and has made notable contributions to the field of engineering. He has widely published articles in leading international journals and has presented his work at several national and international conferences.

 

Habib M. Pathan, Advanced Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411007

Dr. Habib M. Pathan is an accomplished Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, with over 13 years of experience. He was a Visiting Scientist (2004-2007) at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), South Korea, and a Visiting Professor at Chonbuk National University Iksan, South Korea. He is a Life Member of the Material Research Society of India and recently recognized as one of the Worldwide Best Scientists. With more than 200 scientific publications, 04 patents, and over 5000 citations, Dr. Pathan is a highly accomplished scholar. He serves as a Guest Editor to a Special Issue of the Journal of Material Science Material in Electronics, Executive Editor of ES Energy and Environment Journal, and Editorial Board Member of ES Materials and Manufacturing Journal. In addition, he is a Fellow of the Indian Chemical Society, India, and the Engineered Science Society, USA.

 

Dnyaneshwar R. Shinde, Department of Chemistry, Prof. Ramakrishna More Arts, Commerce & Science College, Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411044

Dr. Dnyaneshwar R Shinde received his Master's degree in Inorganic Chemistry and his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India. He joined Prof. Ramkrishna More College Akurdi as an Assistant Professor in 1999 and currently serves as a Professor in the same institute. He is a recognized Ph.D. guide in Chemistry and his research focuses on the synthesis of nanomaterials and their composites, with applications in DSSC, photocatalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, and gas sensing.

References

E. Kabir, P. Kumar, S. Kumar, A. Adelodun, and K.-H. Kim, "Solar energy: Potential and future prospects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 82, pp. 894-900, 2018.

J. Goodenough, "Energy storage materials: A perspective," Energy Storage Materials, vol. 1, pp. 158-161, 2015.

M. Ge, C. Cao, J. Huang, S. Li, Z. Chen, K.-Q. Zhang, S. Al-Deyab, and Y. Lai, "A review of one-dimensional TiO 2 nanostructured materials for environmental and energy applications," Journal of Materials Chemistry A, vol. 4, no. 18, pp. 6772-6801, 2016.

M. Burgelman, P. Nollet, and S. Degrave, "Modelling polycrystalline semiconductor solar cells," Thin Solid Films, vol. 361-362, pp. 527-532, 2000.

K. Wang, Z. Xu, F. Ling, Y. Wang, and S. Dong, "Annealing and thickness effects on magnetic properties of Co2FeAl alloy films," Applied Surface Science, vol. 435, pp. 1125-1135, 2018.

R. Rivera and A. Stashans, "Defects in TiO2 crystals," in Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists, 2013.

V. Brus, "Photoelectrical analysis of n-TiO2/p-CdTe heterojunction solar cells," Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics and Optoelectronics, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 37-42, 2013.

O. Ahmad, A. Rashid, M. Ahmed, M. Nasir, and I. Qasim, "Performance evaluation of Au/p-CdTe/Cs2TiI6/n-TiO2/ITO solar cell using SCAPS-1D," Optical Materials, vol. 117, p. 111105, 2021.

S. Rahman and S. Al Ahmed, "Photovoltaic performance enhancement in CdTe thin-film heterojunction solar cell with Sb2S3 as hole transport layer," Solar Energy, vol. 230, pp. 605-617, 2021.

P. Altermatt, "Models for numerical device simulations of crystalline silicon solar cells - A review," Journal of Computational Electronics, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 314-330, 2011.

K. Ukoba, P. Imoisili, and T.-C. Jen, "Numerical analysis and performance improvement of nanostructured Cu2O/TiO2pn heterojunction solar cells using SCAPS," Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 38, pp. 887-892, 2021.

K. Nithya and K. Sudheer, "Device modelling of non-fullerene organic solar cell with inorganic CuI hole transport layer using SCAPS 1-D," Optik, vol. 217, p. 164790, 2020.

N. Khoshsirat and N. Md Yunus, "Numerical simulation of CIGS thin film solar cells using SCAPS-1D," in 2013 IEEE Conference on Sustainable Utilization and Development in Engineering and Technology (CSUDET), May 2013, pp. 63-67.

M. Rahman, "Design and simulation of a high-performance Cd-free Cu2SnSe3 solar cells with SnS electron-blocking hole transport layer and TiO2 electron transport layer by SCAPS-1D," SN Applied Sciences, vol. 3, no. 2, p. 253, 2021.

E. Ihalane, L. Atourki, H. Kirou, A. Ihlal, and K. Bouabid, "Numerical study of thin films CIGS bilayer solar cells using SCAPS," Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 3, no. 7, pp. 2570-2577, 2016.

F.-L. Wu, S.-L. Ou, R.-H. Horng, and Y.-C. Kao, "Improvement in separation rate of epitaxial lift-off by hydrophilic solvent for GaAs solar cell applications," Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 122, pp. 233-240, 2014.

T. Zhai, X. Fang, M. Liao, X. Xu, H. Zeng, B. Yoshio, and D. Golberg, "A Comprehensive Review of One-Dimensional Metal-Oxide Nanostructure Photodetectors," Sensors, vol. 9, no. 8, pp. 6504-6529, 2009.

G. Xosrovashvili and N. E. Gorji, "Numerical analysis of TiO 2 /Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 nanostructured PV using SCAPS-1D," Journal of Modern Optics, vol. 60, no. 11, pp. 936-940, 2013.

M. Hossain, A. Bousselham, F. Alharbi, and N. Tabet, "Computational analysis of temperature effects on solar cell efficiency," Journal of Computational Electronics, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 776-786, 2017.

J. Fan, "Theoretical temperature dependence of solar cell parameters," Solar Cells, vol. 17, no. 2-3, pp. 309-315, 1986.

P. Lin, L. Lin, J. Yu, S. Cheng, P. Lu, and Q. Zheng, "Numerical simulation of Cu2ZnSnS4 based solar cells with In2S3 buffer layers by SCAPS-1D," Journal of Applied Science and Engineering, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 383-390, 2014.

M. Diab, B. Moshofsky, I. Jen-La Plante, and T. Mokari, "A facile one-step approach for the synthesis and assembly of copper and copper-oxide nanocrystals," Journal of Materials Chemistry, vol. 21, no. 31, p. 11626, 2011.

J.-R. Yuan, H.-L. Shen, L. Zhou, H.-B. Huang, N.-G. Zhou, X.-H. Deng, and Q.-M. Yu, "β-FeSi 2 as the bottom absorber of triple-junction thin-film solar cells: A numerical study," Chinese Physics B, vol. 23, no. 3, p. 038801, 2014.

M. Gloeckler and J. Sites, "Band-gap grading in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells," Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, vol. 66, no. 11, pp. 1891-1894, 2005.

M. Otoufi, M. Ranjbar, A. Kermanpur, N. Taghavinia, M. Minbashi, M. Forouzandeh, and F. Ebadi, "Enhanced performance of planar perovskite solar cells using TiO2/SnO2 and TiO2/WO3 bilayer structures: Roles of the interfacial layers," Solar Energy, vol. 208, pp. 697-707, 2020.

F. Baig, Y. Khattak, A. Shuja, K. Riaz, and B. Soucase, "Performance investigation of Sb2Se3 based solar cell by device optimization, band offset engineering and Hole Transport Layer in SCAPS-1D," Current Applied Physics, vol. 20, no. 8, pp. 973-981, 2020.

D. Shah, K. Devendra, M. Muddassir, M. Akhtar, C. Kim, and O.-B. Yang, "A simulation approach for investigating the performances of cadmium telluride solar cells using doping concentrations, carrier lifetimes, thickness of layers, and band gaps," Solar Energy, vol. 216, pp. 259-265, 2021.

M. Al-Hattab, L. Moudou, M. Khenfouch, O. Bajjou, Y. Chrafih, and K. Rahmani, "Numerical simulation of a new heterostructure CIGS/GaSe solar cell system using SCAPS-1D software," Solar Energy, vol. 227, pp. 13-22, 2021.

X. Mei, B. Wu, X. Guo, X. Liu, Z. Rong, S. Liu, Y. Chen, D. Qin, W. Xu, L. Hou, and B. Chen, "Efficient CdTe Nanocrystal/TiO2 Hetero-Junction Solar Cells with Open Circuit Voltage Breaking 0.8 V by Incorporating A Thin Layer of CdS Nanocrystal," Nanomaterials, vol. 8, no. 8, p. 614, 2018.

P. Chakraborty, B. Mondal, "A note on anomalous band-gap variations in semiconductors with temperature," Indian Journal of Physics, vol. 92, no. 3, pp. 303-306, 2018.

J. Kaur, H. Shelke, S. Jadkar, H. Pathan, R. Kumar, "Optimization of Photovoltaic Characteristics of CIGS/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells," ES Energy & Environment, 2022.

Downloads

Published

28-02-2023

How to Cite

[1]
A. Chougale, “Simulation of p-CdTe and n-TiO2 Heterojunction Solar Cell Efficiency”, J. Comput. Mech. Manag, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 35–42, Feb. 2023.

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2023)

Section

Original Articles

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of Computers, Mechanical and Management

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

The Journal of Computers, Mechanical and Management applies the CC Attribution- Non-Commercial 4.0 International License to its published articles. While retaining copyright ownership of the content, the journal permits activities such as downloading, reusing, reprinting, modifying, distributing, and copying of the articles, as long as the original authors and source are appropriately cited. Proper attribution is ensured by citing the original publication.

Received 2023-01-04
Accepted 2023-02-21
Published 2023-02-28
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

Most read articles by the same author(s)