Efficiency Enhancement of Ultra-thin CIGS Solar Cells Using Bandgap Grading and Embedding Au Plasmonic Nanoparticles

• Published in: Plasmonics (Norwell, Mass.) Mass.), 2020-08, Vol.15 (4), p.1173-1182
• Main Authors: Royanian, Sahar, Abdolahzadeh Ziabari, Ali, Yousefi, Reza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Biological and Medical Physics; Biophysics; Biotechnology; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Circuits; Computer design; Copper indium gallium selenides; Efficiency; Electromagnetic absorption; Energy conversion efficiency; Energy gap; Gold; Incident light; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Open circuit voltage; Photovoltaic cells; Plasmonics; Short circuit currents; Solar cells; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 1557-1955; 1557-1963
• DOI: 10.1007/s11468-020-01138-2

The objective of this study is to enhance the efficiency of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cells. To accomplish that, composition grading of absorber layer was carried out by using SILVACO’s technology aided computer design (TCAD) ATLAS program. Results showed a meaningful improvement of output parameters including open-circuit voltage ( V oc ), short-circuit current ( I sc ), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency ( η ). For further performance improvement of the cell, Au plasmonic scattering nanoparticles were loaded on the top of the ZnO window layer. Plasmonic nanoparticles can restrict, absorb, navigate, or scatter the incident light. By using the spherical Au nanoparticles, a very good increase in the light absorption in the cell over the reference planar CIGS solar cell was observed. The highest η  = 19.01% was achieved for the designed ultra-thin bandgap-graded CIGS solar cell decorated by Au nanoparticles.