Modeling of improved efficiency and spectral response of a Si-based heterojunction solar cell by using CeO2 as a buffer layer

摘要

Abstract In the present work, a silicon-based single heterojunction solar cell is analyzed for its potentially low cost and high efficiency. To obtain an optimal device structure of CeO2/p-Si, SCAPS 1D was used to perform numerical modeling. We investigated the performance of the solar cell by evaluating the effect of varying important parameters. The thickness of the absorber (p-Si) and buffer (CeO2) layer was varied to observe its influence on the short-circuit current density (Jsc), open circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF), and conversion efficiency (η) of the solar cell. Accordingly, the defects observed in the Si and CeO2 layers along with the role of CeO2/Si interface defect density were analyzed in detail to deliver guidelines for obtaining optimal efficiency. The CeO2 layer thickness was varied from 50 to 400?nm. The results indicate that the optimal structure for the CeO2/Si solar cell can be attained when the donor density in CeO2 is 1021 and the thickness of the CeO2 and p-Si layers is 50?nm and 2000?nm, respectively. The anticipated structure consists of CeO2 (n+)/Si (p)/Si (p+) layers and offers maximum efficiency of?~?26 under an illumination spectrum of 1.5 G. Solar cell performance parameters including Jsc, Voc, QE (quantum efficiency/spectral response), FF, and ηdocumentclass12pt{minimal} usepackage{amsmath} usepackage{wasysym} usepackage{amsfonts} usepackage{amssymb} usepackage{amsbsy} usepackage{mathrsfs} usepackage{upgreek} setlength{oddsidemargin}{-69pt} begin{document}$$eta$$end{document} were analyzed graphically. The optimized structure may have a significant impact on the future development of advanced photovoltaic devices.