Design of a High Efficiency p-Si Based Heterojunction Solar Cell with ln₂S₃ Window and NiO BSF Layers

The numerical evaluation performed on the design of n-ln₂S₃/p-Si/p⁺-NiO solar cell reveals that it can come up with a high efficiency gain along with substantial values in other photovoltaic parameters. The pristine n-ln₂S₃/p-Si structure imparts a power conversion efficiency, PCE of 23.24%. The selection of NiO in back surface field (BSF) layer makes an improvement of ~ 0.1 V in open circuit voltage, V_OC and a slight improvement in short circuit current density, J_SC. Under single sun and AM 1.5G spectrum, the optimum thickness (Window = 0.2 μm, Base = 350 μm, BSF = 0.2 μm), doping concentration (Window_donor = 1.0 × 10¹⁸ cm⁻³, Base_acceptor = 1.0 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³, BSF_acceptor = 1.0 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³) and defect density (Window = 1.0 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻³, Base = 1.0 × 10¹² cm⁻³, BSF = 1.0 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻³) provide an enhanced PCE of 26.74% with the application of NiO as BSF in the pristine structure. The other photovoltaic parameters results with V_OC = 0.79 V, J_SC = 40.37 mA/cm² and FF = 83.85%. Insertion of a thin and optimized NiO reduces recombination at the back surface by a potential barrier that enhances V_OC and current in the device. Such a cost-effective solar cell exhibits enough possibility of fabricating a highly efficient, reliable and promising performance device.