In this research article, we carry out investigation
on compensating
the efficiency loss in thin-film CIGS photovoltaic (PV) cell due to
absorber coat depth reduction. We demonstrate that the efficiency
loss is mainly caused by the disruption of the charge-carrier transport.
We propose an architecture engineered with a stepped band gap profile
for improving the efficiency of charge-carrier transport and collection.
By modifying the gallium content, we tuned the band gap profile of
the active layer of a reference experimental cell from which we previously
collected all parameters. Using the simulator environment SCAPS-1D,
we modeled a three-steps stacking profile of active layer with different
gallium contents from one layer to another. Based on the results obtained,
the band gap configuration herein proposed appears to be a prospective
strategy for high-performance ultrathin Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based
PV cell architecture engineering. By combining this approach with
the optimization of the active layer doping, we enhanced the yields
of the reference structure from 18.93% for a 2 μm active layer
to 23.36% for only 0.5 μm thickness of active layer, that is,
an enhancement of 4.4%. The fill factor increased from 73.24 to 81.73%,
that is, an additional stability indicator value of 8.5%. The good
values of the obtained efficiency and the improvement of the fill
factor value are relevant indicators of a stable device. Active layer
stacking combined with a stepped band gap profile and doping level
optimization is definitely providing new perspectives in thin-film
CIGS high-performance PV cell achievement.
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