EFFECT OF BACK CONTACT MATERIAL ON CZTS SOLAR CELLS SIMULATED WITH AMPS
RAZIKA TALA-IGHIL *
Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University M'hamed Bougara Boumerdes, 35000, Algeria and Research Unit of Materials, Processes and Environment, URMPE, University M'hamed Bougara Boumerdes, 35000, Algeria.
MAHDIA TOUBANE
Research Unit of Materials, Processes and Environment, URMPE, University M'hamed Bougara Boumerdes, 35000, Algeria.
FAYÇAL BENSOUICI *
Research Unit of Materials, Processes and Environment, URMPE, University M'hamed Bougara Boumerdes, 35000, Algeria.
AMEL SLIMANI
Research Unit of Materials, Processes and Environment, URMPE, University M'hamed Bougara Boumerdes, 35000, Algeria.
D. HAOUANOH
Research Unit of Materials, Processes and Environment, URMPE, University M'hamed Bougara Boumerdes, 35000, Algeria.
AICHA IRATNI
Research Unit of Materials, Processes and Environment, URMPE, University M'hamed Bougara Boumerdes, 35000, Algeria.
SAMIRA SALI
CRTSE, Reserach Center on Semiconductors and Energetics, Algiers, Algeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
CZTS is an emerging absorber material for thin film Photovoltaics. Modeled after commercially available CIGS, CZTS is an abundant, inexpensive, environmentally pleasant materials. Copper, zinc, tin, and sulfur are all abundant in the earth’s crust, which means that CZTS will not be limited by material restraints for large-scale power generation. CZTS has low toxicity, making it more safer than CdTe, which contains toxic cadmium. As a thin film absorber, CZTS is typically between one and three micrometers thick when it is incorporated into devices, drastically reducing the materials cost; other thin film photovoltaics require thicker absorber layers than CZTS. The main advantage that sets CZTS apart from its competitors is its efficiency and potential for scalability which makes it more sustainable replacement thin film technologies. This paper will model CZTS based solar cells by using AMPS software. The effect of back contact on the output efficiency is studied. Very interesting results have been obtained.
Keywords: CZTS, AMPS, back contact, conversion efficiency, thin film, solar cell