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Short-Circuit Photocurrent Density Determination of Chalcopyrite Solar Cells and Study of Basic Parameters Under AM0, AM1, AM1.5 Spectra

Received: 28 October 2021     Accepted: 30 November 2021     Published: 11 December 2021
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Abstract

In this work we present a method to evaluate the short-circuit photocurrent density delivered by a solar cell by and study basic parameters which are at the origin of the latter by considering the solar spectra AM0, AM1 and AM1.5. This photocurrent density is the greatest current density that the cell can supply according to the considered parameters for a given illumination. We apply this method to a 4-layer model composed of absorber materials based on chalcopyrite semiconductors (CuInSe2 and CuInS2) and based on a wide band gap window layers (ZnO and CdS) according to the model ZnO(n+)/CdS(n)/CuInS2(p)/CuInSe2 (p+) (model n+/n /p/p+). For this model the CuInS2 and CuInSe2 layers are named respectively base and substrate. We exploit continuity equation that governing charge carriers transport in semiconductor materials and use Newton's quadrature integration method over the entire solar spectrum ranging from 1 eV to 4 eV. For this calculation, we have found values of the short-circuit photocurrent density equal to 24.5 mA.cm-2, 19.3 mA.cm-2, 17.5 mAcm-2 respectively for the spectra AM0, AM1 and AM1.5 for the used parameters. The same principle of calculation and reasoning is used to determine and study under a given solar spectrum some intrinsic basic parameters such as the generation rate of carriers, the densities of minority carriers generated and the resulting photocurrents versus the junction depth. The study of these parameters shows a low penetration depth of photons for the considered materials CuInS2/CuInSe2, losses of charge carriers due to recombination phenomena in surface and interface, bulk recombinations, and losses which are also due to the natural phenomenon of diffusion of carriers in the material under a concentration gradient. This study tries to show that the optimization of the growth conditions of layers, a good choice of material arrangement and a good geometric dimensioning are essential to improve collection efficiency of charge carriers and the short-circuit photocurrent of a photovoltaic cell.

Published in Science Journal of Energy Engineering (Volume 9, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15
Page(s) 79-89
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Photovoltaic Cell, CuInS2/CuInSe2, Short-Circuit Photocurrent Density, Intrinsic Parameters

References
[1] Subba Ramaiah Kodigala, “Cu(In1-xGax)se2 based thin solar cells”, 2010, Volume 35, Academic Press, ELSEVIER. Inc, p. 16. Heise, L., Greene, M., Opper, N., Stavropoulou, M., & Equality, N. A. (2019). Gender inequality and restrictive gender norms: framing the challenges to health. The Lancet, 393, 2440-2454.
[2] H. Hahn, G. Frank, W. Klinger, A. D. Meyer, G. Strorger, “Über einige ternäre Chalkogenide mit Chalcopyritestruktur”, Z. Anorg. Aug. Chem. 271 (1953) 153.
[3] T. Loher, W. Jaegermann, C. Pettenkofer, “Formation and electronic properties of the CdS/CuInSe2 (011) heterointerface studied by synchrotron-induced photoemission”, J. Appl. Phys. 77 (1995) 731.
[4] E. M. Keita, B. Ndiaye, M. Dia, Y. Tabar, C. Sene, B. Mbow, “Theoretical Study of Spectral Responses of Heterojunctions Based on CuInSe2 and CuInS2” OAJ Materials and Devices, Vol 5#1, 0508 (2020) – DOI: 10.23647/ca.md20200508.
[5] H. L. Hwang, C. Y. Sun, C. Y. Leu, C. C. Cheng, C. C. Tu, “Growth of CuInS2 and its characterization”, Rev. Phys. Appl. 13 (1978) 745.
[6] M. Robbins, V. G. Lambrecht Jr., “Preparation and some properties of materials in systems of the type MIMIIIS2 / MIMIIISe2 where MI=Cu, Ag and MIII=Al, Ga, In”, Mater. Res. Bull. 8 (1973) 703.
[7] I. V. Bodnar, B. V. Korzun, A. I. Lukomski, “Composition Dependence of the Band Gap of CuInS2xSe2(1−x)”, Phys. Stat. Solidi (B) 105 (1981) K143.
[8] S. J. Fonash, Solar Cell device Physics, Academic Press, New York, 1981.
[9] E. M. Keita, B. Mbow, M. S. Mane, M. L. Sow, C. Sow, C. Sene “Theoretical Study of Spectral Responses ofHomojonctions Based on CuInSe2” Journal of Materials Science & Surface Engineering, Vol. 4 (4), 2016, pp 392-399.
[10] Abazović Nadica D., Jovanović Dragana J., Stoiljković Milovan M., Mitrić Miodrag N., Ahrenkil Phillip S., Nedeljković Jovan M., Čomor Mirjana I., “Colloidal-chemistry based synthesis of quantized CuInS2/Se2 nanoparticles”, Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society, 2012, Volume 77, Pages: 789-797.
[11] Hisashi Yoshikawa, Sadao Adachi, “Optical Constants of ZnO”, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol 36 (1997) pp. 6237-6243.
[12] B. MBOW, A. MEZERREG, N. REZZOUG, and C. LLINARES, “Calculated and Measured Spectral Responses in Near-Infrared of III-V Photodetectors Based on Ga, In, and Sb”, phys. Stat. Sol. (a) 141, 511 (1994).
[13] H. J. HOVEL and J. M. WOODALL, “Ga1-xAlxAs - GaAs P-P-N Heterojunction Solar Cells”, J. Electrochem. Soc. 120, 1246 (1973).
[14] H. J. HOVEL and J. M. WOODALL, 10th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conf., Palo Alto (Calif.) 1973 (p. 25).
[15] Alain Ricaud, “Photopiles Solaires”, de la physique de la conversion photovoltaïque aux filières, matériaux et procédés. 1997, 1e édition, Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, p. 40.
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    El Hadji Mamadou Keita, Abdoul Aziz Correa, Issa Faye, Chamsdine Sow, Cheikh Sene, et al. (2021). Short-Circuit Photocurrent Density Determination of Chalcopyrite Solar Cells and Study of Basic Parameters Under AM0, AM1, AM1.5 Spectra. Science Journal of Energy Engineering, 9(4), 79-89. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15

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    ACS Style

    El Hadji Mamadou Keita; Abdoul Aziz Correa; Issa Faye; Chamsdine Sow; Cheikh Sene, et al. Short-Circuit Photocurrent Density Determination of Chalcopyrite Solar Cells and Study of Basic Parameters Under AM0, AM1, AM1.5 Spectra. Sci. J. Energy Eng. 2021, 9(4), 79-89. doi: 10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15

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    AMA Style

    El Hadji Mamadou Keita, Abdoul Aziz Correa, Issa Faye, Chamsdine Sow, Cheikh Sene, et al. Short-Circuit Photocurrent Density Determination of Chalcopyrite Solar Cells and Study of Basic Parameters Under AM0, AM1, AM1.5 Spectra. Sci J Energy Eng. 2021;9(4):79-89. doi: 10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15,
      author = {El Hadji Mamadou Keita and Abdoul Aziz Correa and Issa Faye and Chamsdine Sow and Cheikh Sene and Babacar Mbow},
      title = {Short-Circuit Photocurrent Density Determination of Chalcopyrite Solar Cells and Study of Basic Parameters Under AM0, AM1, AM1.5 Spectra},
      journal = {Science Journal of Energy Engineering},
      volume = {9},
      number = {4},
      pages = {79-89},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjee.20210904.15},
      abstract = {In this work we present a method to evaluate the short-circuit photocurrent density delivered by a solar cell by and study basic parameters which are at the origin of the latter by considering the solar spectra AM0, AM1 and AM1.5. This photocurrent density is the greatest current density that the cell can supply according to the considered parameters for a given illumination. We apply this method to a 4-layer model composed of absorber materials based on chalcopyrite semiconductors (CuInSe2 and CuInS2) and based on a wide band gap window layers (ZnO and CdS) according to the model ZnO(n+)/CdS(n)/CuInS2(p)/CuInSe2 (p+) (model n+/n /p/p+). For this model the CuInS2 and CuInSe2 layers are named respectively base and substrate. We exploit continuity equation that governing charge carriers transport in semiconductor materials and use Newton's quadrature integration method over the entire solar spectrum ranging from 1 eV to 4 eV. For this calculation, we have found values of the short-circuit photocurrent density equal to 24.5 mA.cm-2, 19.3 mA.cm-2, 17.5 mAcm-2 respectively for the spectra AM0, AM1 and AM1.5 for the used parameters. The same principle of calculation and reasoning is used to determine and study under a given solar spectrum some intrinsic basic parameters such as the generation rate of carriers, the densities of minority carriers generated and the resulting photocurrents versus the junction depth. The study of these parameters shows a low penetration depth of photons for the considered materials CuInS2/CuInSe2, losses of charge carriers due to recombination phenomena in surface and interface, bulk recombinations, and losses which are also due to the natural phenomenon of diffusion of carriers in the material under a concentration gradient. This study tries to show that the optimization of the growth conditions of layers, a good choice of material arrangement and a good geometric dimensioning are essential to improve collection efficiency of charge carriers and the short-circuit photocurrent of a photovoltaic cell.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Short-Circuit Photocurrent Density Determination of Chalcopyrite Solar Cells and Study of Basic Parameters Under AM0, AM1, AM1.5 Spectra
    AU  - El Hadji Mamadou Keita
    AU  - Abdoul Aziz Correa
    AU  - Issa Faye
    AU  - Chamsdine Sow
    AU  - Cheikh Sene
    AU  - Babacar Mbow
    Y1  - 2021/12/11
    PY  - 2021
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15
    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15
    T2  - Science Journal of Energy Engineering
    JF  - Science Journal of Energy Engineering
    JO  - Science Journal of Energy Engineering
    SP  - 79
    EP  - 89
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2376-8126
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjee.20210904.15
    AB  - In this work we present a method to evaluate the short-circuit photocurrent density delivered by a solar cell by and study basic parameters which are at the origin of the latter by considering the solar spectra AM0, AM1 and AM1.5. This photocurrent density is the greatest current density that the cell can supply according to the considered parameters for a given illumination. We apply this method to a 4-layer model composed of absorber materials based on chalcopyrite semiconductors (CuInSe2 and CuInS2) and based on a wide band gap window layers (ZnO and CdS) according to the model ZnO(n+)/CdS(n)/CuInS2(p)/CuInSe2 (p+) (model n+/n /p/p+). For this model the CuInS2 and CuInSe2 layers are named respectively base and substrate. We exploit continuity equation that governing charge carriers transport in semiconductor materials and use Newton's quadrature integration method over the entire solar spectrum ranging from 1 eV to 4 eV. For this calculation, we have found values of the short-circuit photocurrent density equal to 24.5 mA.cm-2, 19.3 mA.cm-2, 17.5 mAcm-2 respectively for the spectra AM0, AM1 and AM1.5 for the used parameters. The same principle of calculation and reasoning is used to determine and study under a given solar spectrum some intrinsic basic parameters such as the generation rate of carriers, the densities of minority carriers generated and the resulting photocurrents versus the junction depth. The study of these parameters shows a low penetration depth of photons for the considered materials CuInS2/CuInSe2, losses of charge carriers due to recombination phenomena in surface and interface, bulk recombinations, and losses which are also due to the natural phenomenon of diffusion of carriers in the material under a concentration gradient. This study tries to show that the optimization of the growth conditions of layers, a good choice of material arrangement and a good geometric dimensioning are essential to improve collection efficiency of charge carriers and the short-circuit photocurrent of a photovoltaic cell.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Laboratory of Semiconductors and Solar Energy, Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal

  • Laboratory of Semiconductors and Solar Energy, Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal

  • Laboratory of Chemistry and Physics of Materials, University Assane Seck, Ziguinchor, Senegal

  • Laboratory of Semiconductors and Solar Energy, Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal

  • Laboratory of Semiconductors and Solar Energy, Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal

  • Laboratory of Semiconductors and Solar Energy, Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal

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