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Modeling and Simulation of Solar Cells

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 10808

Special Issue Editors

Department of Engineering Physics and Mathematics, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
Interests: modeling and simulation of solar cells; power devices; 3D detectors; and nanoscale devices, including TFETs and CNTFETs
Department of Electronics Engineering and Electrical Communications, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
Interests: microelectronics and electronic applications, including communications and photovoltaics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the most dynamically growing areas of science and technology is photovoltaics. as solar energy is considered one of the most favorable energy resources that is able of meeting the rapidly increasing energy demand. Since the first silicon-based solar cells were invented in 1954, there has been tremendous research in the field of solar energy, and many different technologies have been established utilizing various materials and device architectures. Modeling and simulation of solar cells is an essential methodology for the analysis and characterization of solar cells. In addition, it can be utilized to enhance and design them. Modeling is the step directly before simulation, in which the device must be modeled before identifying solutions to ensure good performance. Modeling is divided into physical modeling, where the device is described physically, and mathematical modeling, where the mathematical equations describing the device and the initial as well as the boundary conditions are defined. Simulation is then used to solve these mathematical models numerically to determine the performance parameters of the device. Thus, this Special Issue is devoted to:

  • Developing new modeling and simulation methods for solar cells
  • Modeling materials building solar cells
  • Introducing simulation of new types of solar cells using state-of-the-art simulation tools
  • Developing modeling and simulation tools and stability of new thin film solar cells, such as perovskite and organic solar cells
  • Developing models and simulation tools for solar cell and solar module diagnosis.
Any other related topics are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Ahmed Shaker
Prof. Dr. Abdelhalim Zekry
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3126 KiB  
Article
Concurrent Design of Alloy Compositions of CZTSSe and CdZnS Using SCAPS Simulation: Potential Routes to Overcoming VOC Deficit
by Walid Zein, Tarek I. Alanazi, Mostafa M. Salah and Ahmed Saeed
Energies 2023, 16(15), 5754; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16155754 - 02 Aug 2023
Viewed by 911
Abstract
Solar energy is the most used renewable energy source. CZTSSe uses earth-abundant elements and has promising optoelectronic properties, resulting in becoming a viable alternative to thin film PV. This work provides design guidelines for CZTSSe-based solar cells, where CZTSSe has a tunable affinity [...] Read more.
Solar energy is the most used renewable energy source. CZTSSe uses earth-abundant elements and has promising optoelectronic properties, resulting in becoming a viable alternative to thin film PV. This work provides design guidelines for CZTSSe-based solar cells, where CZTSSe has a tunable affinity and energy gap. The analysis is based on incorporating a ternary compound material to serve as an electron transport material (ETM). In this regard, CdZnS is a potential candidate that can be utilized as an electron transport layer whose affinity and energy gap can be tuned to adjust the band alignment at the ETL/CZTSSe interface. In order to design a high-efficiency solar cell, one has to tune both the ETL and absorber layers to have a suitable conduction band offset (CBO), thereby minimizing the non-radiative recombination which, in turn, boosts the power conversion efficiency (PCE). Thus, in our presented simulation study, we provide a codesign of alloy compositions of both the CZTSSe photoactive layer and the CdZnS ETL using SCAPS-1D simulation. It is found that using the codesign of alloy compositions of the ternary compound ETL and the absorber enhances the PCE by about 2% and, more importantly, overcomes the main issue in CZTSSe which is its open-circuit voltage (VOC) deficit. Furthermore, upon optimizing the thickness and doping of both the ETL and absorber layer, as well as the bulk defect of the absorber layer, a PCE of 17.16% is attained in this study, while the calibrated PCE based on a previously published experimental work was 12.30%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Solar Cells)
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14 pages, 2591 KiB  
Article
Simulation of Triple-Cation Perovskite Solar Cells: Key Design Factors for Efficiency Promotion
by Tarek I. Alanazi and Omer I. Eid
Energies 2023, 16(6), 2717; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062717 - 14 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1778
Abstract
Compositional engineering is considered one of the recent interesting techniques used in the field of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this method, more than one material was used in a specific cation in the perovskite structure. This work aims to simulate the cesium-containing [...] Read more.
Compositional engineering is considered one of the recent interesting techniques used in the field of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this method, more than one material was used in a specific cation in the perovskite structure. This work aims to simulate the cesium-containing triple-cation perovskite (TCP) via the SCAPS-1D simulation program with a device structure of ITO/SnO2/TCP/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au. First, we studied the effect of interface defects on the PCSs with respect to experimental results and found that when no interface defects occur, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) reaches a value of 22.16% which is higher than the reported PCE, implying that the fabricated cell suffers from the interface defects as a main effect on cell degradation. Incorporating interface defects into the simulation results in a very good match between the experimental and simulated data with a PCE of 17.92%. Further, to provide possible routes to enhance the performance of the solar cell under investigation, impacts of absorber layer thickness, conduction band offset (CBO), surface recombination velocity, and light intensity were explored. In addition, hole transport layer (HTL)-free design was investigated to alleviate the instability issues associated to the organic HTL, leading to a PCE of 18.28%, for a surface velocity of 104 cm/s, which is interestingly higher than the initial cell. The provided study reveals the critical role of interface defects and other key design factors and suggests potential solutions to alleviate the subsequent degradation mechanisms, thereby enhancing the overall cell performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Solar Cells)
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20 pages, 4946 KiB  
Article
Numerical Simulation and Optimization of Inorganic Lead-Free Cs3Bi2I9-Based Perovskite Photovoltaic Cell: Impact of Various Design Parameters
by Arnob Das, Susmita Datta Peu, Md Abdul Mannan Akanda, Mostafa M. Salah, Md. Sejan Hossain and Barun Kumar Das
Energies 2023, 16(5), 2328; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052328 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2135
Abstract
The lead halide-based perovskite solar cells have attracted much attention in the photovoltaic industry due to their high efficiency, easy manufacturing, lightweight, and low cost. However, these lead halide-based perovskite solar cells are not manufactured commercially due to lead-based toxicity. To investigate lead-free [...] Read more.
The lead halide-based perovskite solar cells have attracted much attention in the photovoltaic industry due to their high efficiency, easy manufacturing, lightweight, and low cost. However, these lead halide-based perovskite solar cells are not manufactured commercially due to lead-based toxicity. To investigate lead-free inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs), we investigated a novel Cs3Bi2I9-based perovskite configuration in SCAPS-1D software using different hole transport layers (HTLs). At the same time, WS2 is applied as an electron transport layer (ETL). Comparative analysis of the various design configurations reveals that ITO/WS2/Cs3Bi2I9/PEDOT:PSS/Au offers the best performance with 20.12% of power conversion efficiency (PCE). After optimizing the thickness, bandgap, defect density, and carrier density, the efficiency of the configuration is increased from 20.12 to 24.91%. Improvement in other performance parameters such as short circuit current (17.325 mA/cm2), open circuit voltage (1.5683 V), and fill factor (91.66%) are also observed after tuning different attributes. This investigation indicates the potential application of Cs3Bi2I9 as a lead-free and stable perovskite material that can contribute to improving the renewable energy sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Solar Cells)
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12 pages, 3133 KiB  
Article
Performance Improvement of npn Solar Cell Microstructure by TCAD Simulation: Role of Emitter Contact and ARC
by Marwa S. Salem, Abdelhalim Zekry, Ahmed Shaker, Mohamed Abouelatta, Tariq S. Almurayziq, Mohammad T. Alshammari and Mohamed M. El-Banna
Energies 2022, 15(19), 7179; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15197179 - 29 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1635
Abstract
In the current study, the performance of the npn solar cell (SC) microstructure is improved by inspecting some modifications to provide possible paths for fabrication techniques of the structure. The npn microstructure is simulated by applying a process simulator by starting with a [...] Read more.
In the current study, the performance of the npn solar cell (SC) microstructure is improved by inspecting some modifications to provide possible paths for fabrication techniques of the structure. The npn microstructure is simulated by applying a process simulator by starting with a heavily doped p-type substrate which could be based on low-cost Si wafers. After etching deep notches through the substrate and forming the emitter by n-type diffusion, an aluminum layer is deposited to form the emitter electrode with about 0.1 µm thickness; thereby, the notches are partially filled. This nearly-open-notches microstructure, using thin metal instead of filling the notch completely with Al, gives an efficiency of 15.3%, which is higher than the conventional structure by 0.8%. Moreover, as antireflection coating (ARC) techniques play a crucial role in decreasing the front surface reflectivity, we apply different ARC schemes to inspect their influence on the optical performance. The influence of utilizing single layer (ZnO), double (Si3N4/ZnO), and triple (SiO2/Si3N/ZnO) ARC systems is investigated, and the simulation results are compared. The improvement in the structure performance because of the inclusion of ARC is evaluated by the relative change in the efficiency (Δη). In the single, double, and triple ARC, Δη is found to be 12.5%, 15.4%, and 17%, respectively. All simulations are performed by using a full TCAD process and device simulators under AM1.5 illumination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Solar Cells)
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16 pages, 2852 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Electron Transport Material-Free Perovskite/CIGS Tandem Solar Cell
by Mostafa M. Salah, Abdelhalim Zekry, Ahmed Shaker, Mohamed Abouelatta, Mohamed Mousa and Ahmed Saeed
Energies 2022, 15(17), 6326; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15176326 - 30 Aug 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1755
Abstract
Tandem solar cells have a superb potential to push the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of photovoltaic technologies. They can be also more stable and economical. In this simulation work, an efficient perovskite solar cell (PSC) with Spiro-OMeTAD as a hole transport material (HTM) [...] Read more.
Tandem solar cells have a superb potential to push the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of photovoltaic technologies. They can be also more stable and economical. In this simulation work, an efficient perovskite solar cell (PSC) with Spiro-OMeTAD as a hole transport material (HTM) and with no electron transport material (ETM) to replace the traditional PSC structure is presented. This PSC is then used as a top sub cell together with a copper indium gallium sulfide (CIGS) bottom sub cell to build a tandem cell. The multi-junction solar cell behavior is improved by engineering the technological and physical parameters of the perovskite and HTM. The results show that an n-p heterojunction PSC structure with an ETM free could be a good candidate for the traditional n-i-p structure. Because of such investigations, the performance of the proposed ETM-free PSC/CIGS cell could be designed to reach a PCE as high as 35.36%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Solar Cells)
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Review

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23 pages, 4220 KiB  
Review
Comprehensive Review on Thin Film Homojunction Solar Cells: Technologies, Progress and Challenges
by Omar M. Saif, Yasmine Elogail, Tarek M. Abdolkader, Ahmed Shaker, Abdelhalim Zekry, Mohamed Abouelatta, Marwa S. Salem and Mostafa Fedawy
Energies 2023, 16(11), 4402; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16114402 - 30 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1540
Abstract
With the aim of achieving high efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reliability of solar cells, several technologies have been studied. Recently, emerging materials have appeared to replace Si-based cells, seeking economic fabrication of solar cells. Thin-film solar cells (TFSCs) are considered strong candidates for this [...] Read more.
With the aim of achieving high efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reliability of solar cells, several technologies have been studied. Recently, emerging materials have appeared to replace Si-based cells, seeking economic fabrication of solar cells. Thin-film solar cells (TFSCs) are considered strong candidates for this mission, specifically perovskite-based solar cells, reporting competitive power convergence efficiencies reaching up to 25.7%. Substantial efforts have been invested in experimental and research work to surpass the Si-based cells performance. Simulation analysis is a major tool in achieving this target by detecting design problems and providing possible solutions. Usually, a TFSC adopts p-i-n heterojunction architecture by employing carrier transport materials along with the absorber material in order to extract the photogenerated electrons and holes by realizing a built-in electric field. Eventually, this dependency of conventional heterojunction TFSCs on carrier transport layers results in cost-ineffective cells and increases the possibility of device instability and interface problems. Thus, the design of p-n homojunction TFSCs is highly desirable as an essential direction of structural innovation to realize efficient solar cell operation. In this review, a summary of the fundamentals of TFSC materials, recent design and technology progress, and methodologies for improving the device performance using experimental research studies will be discussed. Further, simulation analysis will be provided by demonstrating the latest research work outcomes, highlighting the major achievements and the most common challenges facing thin film homojunction solar cell structures and the methods to improve them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Solar Cells)
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