Unveiling the structural and electrical features of Al/p-CZTS thin film schottky structure for photovoltaic application: a comparative parameter extraction study

To accurately determine the Schottky barrier characteristics and elucidate the consequent impacts, it is imperative to possess a comprehensive understanding of the conduction pathways within a Schottky barrier. The objective of this study was to examine the structural and electrical characteristics of a Schottky junction composed of an aluminum (Al) electrode, a p-type copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) thin film, and a molybdenum (Mo) substrate. The structural characterization of the material was conducted through the utilization of SEM analysis and EDX Spectra. On the other hand, the electrical characterization was accomplished by analyzing the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics. A significant part of the study is dedicated to validating the obtained CZTS solar cell parameters by simulating the I–V characteristic using extracted parameters and comparing them to experimental data. A comparative analysis of experimental and fitted I–V characteristics is presented, showcasing the effectiveness of the GA method in parameter extraction. The findings of this research contribute to the broader understanding of solar cell parameter optimization and offer a robust methodology for future applications in the field.