Name -Ashish Tanwar

Branch- ECE(5th sem)

Collage - NIT Srinagar, J&K

Field of Study - Solar Cell Design (CdTe)

Under Supervision - Dr. Menka Yadav

1
1. Introduction:-
 Solar cells are semi-conductor devices which use sunlight to produce
electricity. They are manufactured and processed in a similar fashion as
computer memory chips. Solar cells are primarily made up of silicon which
absorbs the photons emitted by sun’s rays. The process was discovered as
early as 1839. Silicon wafers are doped and the electrical contacts are put in
place to connect each solar cell to another. The resulting silicon disks are
given an anti-reflective coating. This coating protects sunlight loss. The solar
cells are then encapsulated and placed in an aluminium frame.
 Solar cells are devices that use the photovoltaic effect to convert the energy of
light directly into electricity, producing electrical charges that can move freely
in semiconductors. The first solar cell was introduced by Bell executives in
1954. The first generation of solar cells was produced on silicon wafers either
using monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon crystals. The most recent and
promising generation of solar cells consists of concentrated solar cells,
polymer-based solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, nanocrystal-based solar
cells, and perovskite-based solar cells.
 Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity according to photovoltaic
effect. Photovoltic effect is the process of converting light (photons) to
electricity (voltage). When photons from sunlight fall on these materials,
atoms lose their electrons by gaining energy; electrons are allowed to flow
through the material to produce electricity.

Fig.1 Solar Cells

2
2. Working of Solar Cells:-
When sunlight strikes a solar cell, electrons in the
silicon are ejected, which results in the formation of “holes”—the vacancies left
behind by the escaping electrons. If this happens in the electric field, the field will
move electrons to the n-type layer and holes to the p-type layer. If you connect
the n-type and p-type layers with a metallic wire, the electrons will travel from
the n-type layer to the p-type layer by crossing the depletion zone and then go
through the external wire back of the n-type layer, creating a flow of electricity.

Fig.2 Solar Cell Working Diagram

3. Generations of Solar Cells :-

The primary role of a photovoltaic cell is to receive solar radiation as pure
light and transform it into electrical energy in a conversion process called the
photovoltaic effect.
There are several technologies involved with the manufacturing process of
photovoltaic cells, using material modification with different photoelectric
conversion efficiencies in the cell components. Due to the emergence of many
non-conventional manufacturing methods for fabricating functioning solar cells,
photovoltaic technologies can be divided into four major generations.

3
 Fig.3 Generations of Solar Cells.

4. CdTe Solar Cells :-

 Cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells contain thin-film layers of cadmium
telluride materials as a semiconductor to convert absorbed sunlight and
hence generate electricity. In these types of solar cells, the one electrode
is prepared from copper-doped carbon paste while the other electrode is
made up of tin oxide or cadmium-based stannous oxide. And between
the two electrodes, cadmium sulfide is placed.
 The maximum theoretical efficiency of the CdTe solar cell corresponding
to a band gap of 1.5 eV is about 28%–30%. CdTe has long been known as
a leading thin film photovoltaic material due to its near optimal direct
bandgap of 1.44 eV and high absorption coefficient

4
 Fig.4 CdTe Solar Cell

5. Prerequisite:-
1. SCAPS 1D -
SCAPS (a Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator) is a one-
dimensional solar cell simulation program.
SCAPS is a 1-dimensional simulation software which calculates energy
bands, current-voltage characteristics and spectral response (Quantum
Efficiency) by solving continuity equations for electron and hole and
Poisson's equation.

 Title :- Temperature vs Voc simulation for solar cell(CdTe).

Software used - SCAPS-1D
Disscussion- To simulate Voc vs temperature plot first we choose CdTe
base material in Scaps . We give voltage ranges 0 to 1.5 and set
temperature ranges between 200K to 500K in batch setup .
Simulation process and setup is given below -

5
 Fig.1.1 Scaps Action Pannel

Fig.1.2 Solar Cell Defination Panel

6
 Fig.1.3 Energy Bands of CdTe Solar Cell

Reasult -We observe that the graph slops changes in 500K -300K ,300K-
250K, 250K-200K temperature and whole curve not makes the tangent .So
Voc is saturating out. The reason for Voc saturating out is may be presence
of secondary junction instead of pn junction and interface defact.

7
 Title :- Carrier Density Optimisation of Solar Cells(CdTe).
Discussion- Carrier concentration and carrier density is an important
parameter which is also doping. So it is like acceptor density in p-type layer
and donar density in n-type layer These will control the whole working of
device.
We take two layer with same carrier density of n-type and p-type, we also
give interface defect to p-n junction.

Fig.2.1 Action Panel

Fig.2.2

8
 Fig.2.3 Energy band panel

Output-

Fig.2.4 I-V Panel

After getting IV curve we do changes in both layers bandgap ,acceptor and

donor density etc.

9
 Fig. 2.5 Layer Properties Panel

Fig.2.6 I-V Panel

Above we can see that layers density affects solar cells efficiency.

10
 Fig.2.7 Layer Properties

Fig.2.8 Energy Bands

Result- As we increase hole density in first layer and keep unchange n-type
dencity ,the p+ junction is made. After that all deplition width has shifted
into the n-type region. As a result fill factor is reduce and efficiency ,Voc is
increased.
If we increase electron density in n- type region the bandwidth is shifted
into the p-type region and interface states are kind of absent.
11
 Fig.2.9 I-V Panel

 Title :- SCAPS Simulation of Illumination Dependence of Efficiency/ Voc.

Discussion - Here we simulate solar cell parameter with illumination
intensity variation. In batch setupwe choose illumination and ND filter give
nd filter value -1 to 3.

Fig.3.1

12
 Fig.3.2 Batch Parameter

Fig.3.3 Energy Band Panel

13
Result- Here we can see that as illumination intensity is increasing Voc is
also increasing.

 Title :- Solar cell efficiency optimisation in SCAPS.

Discussion - In this simulation we added a thin layer to p- side at back
contact in CdTe solar cell by changing its doping density. Then P +-N
structure is made.

Fig.4.1 Solar cell defination(CdTe)

14
 Fig.4.2 Energy Band Panel

Fig.4.3 I-V Pannel

Above I-V plot we obtain 16.14 % efficiency and fill factor is 76.54%.

15
Here we added thin p- type layer to back side contact.

Fig.4.4 Cell defination panel

Fig.4.5 Energy band panel

16
Result- As we increase hole density at p-type region by adding a layer we
see that fill factor and efficiency is also increased 16.14 to 16.74.

End

17