Performance Optimization of CuSbS2 Solar Cells by Numerical Simulation Using SCAPS-1D

The family of ternary chalcogenides (CuSbS/Se2 and CuBiS/Se2) provides an ample option of potential candidates for the new generation photovoltaic devices. However, Copper antimony sulphide CuSbS2 (CAS), is an efficient absorber material during present scenario for thin film solar cells due to its extraordinary optical and structural properties. In this paper, substrate heterojunction thin film solar cell (HJTFSC) simulated having defects of VCu in CAS with CdS buffer, ZnO window and Mo back contact using the SCAPS-1D software. The main focus of the reported work is to observe the impact of copper vacancies (VCu at 0.08 eV above VBM) on the performance of cell. The cell performance can also be observed by changing the absorber layer properties, i.e., thickness and carrier density. The cell structure ZnO:Al/i-ZnO/n-CdS/p-CuSbS2/Mo was set in software and calculated the optoelectronic parameters, i.e., short circuit current density (Jsc), open circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF) and efficiency (η). The physical parameters of solar cell were set at room temperature 300 K under illumination intensity 100 mW/cm2 with AM1.5 spectrum. The optimized thickness and carrier density of the absorber layer were 2.5 μm and 5 × 1016 cm−3, respectively that reveals the ~10% energy conversion efficiency.