Laboratory: Laboratory of Materials and Environment (LA.M.

E)
Host institution: Joseph Ki-ZERBO University (Burkina Faso)
First and last name of the doctoral student: COULIBALY Yacouba
Thesis Supervisor: Soumaïla OUEDRAOGO, Associate Professor, Joseph Ki-ZERBO
University (Burkina Faso)
Thesis title: Modeling, Simulation and characterization of Cu2ZnSnS4-based photovoltaic
devices (CZTS)

Abstract: Copper-Zinc-Tin and Sulfur-based solar cells (CZTS) have been announced for several years
as an emerging technology. This PV cell system will be able to compete with conventional systems such
as mono- or polycrystalline silicon-based cells and other thin-film cells (CIGS, CIS and CdTe, etc.). The
CZTS material press much advantage than all photovoltaic processes. It is made up of elements that
are abundant on the earth's crust and harmless to the environment. However, the current record
experimental efficiency of CZTS cells of around 11% is a far cry from first-generation solar cells. This
low yield remains an obstacle to their marketing. The main reasons for this deficit are mainly due to
the sensitive parameters of the CZTS absorbers such as the thickness and the increased presence of
intrinsic defects and the presence of defects at the Mo/CZTS and CdS/CZTS interfaces which impact its
electrical parameters. In this work, we used the SCAPS-1D software version 3.2.0 to first make our CZTS
solar cell model. Then, we carried out numerical simulations to understand the influence of these
sensitive parameters on the electrical and optical behavior of the solar cell. Finally, a comparative
study of our results with the experimental results was carried out where a strong correlation was
found. Thus, the simulation results indicate that a maximum thickness of about 900 nm of the CZTS
absorber with an intrinsic defect density of 1012 cm-3 is sufficient to have an efficiency of 21%. In
addition, a doping control of the absorber at p=1016 cm-3 and defects at the front and rear contacts at
1012 cm-2 also contribute to the improvement of the electrical parameters. These results may be useful
for the realization of CZTS solar cells that can compete in the photovoltaic market.