Performance Enhancement of CIGS Thin-Film Solar Cells through Numerical Modeling

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Chinese explanation / 中文解读

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Original abstract

Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells remain among the most promising photovoltaic technologies due to their high absorption coefficient, tunable bandgap, and compatibility with low-temperature processing. This manuscript presents a comprehensive numerical investigation of performance enhancement strategies for CIGS-based solar cells using one-dimensional and multidimensional simulation frameworks. Device optimization is analyzed by systematically varying absorber composition, bandgap grading, defect density, and doping concentration, as well as through engineering of buffer, window, and back-surface-field (BSF) layers. SCAPS-1D simulations are employed to evaluate steady-state optoelectronic behavior. At the same time, advanced TCAD tools such as Silvaco Atlas and Synopsys Sentaurus provide spatially resolved insight into heterojunction band alignment, interface recombination, and module-level effects including laser scribing. The impact of alkali post-deposition treatments, grain-boundary passivation, tuning of the conduction-band offset, and alternative non-toxic buffer materials is assessed. Advanced architectures—including double-absorber layers, multi-junction stacks, bifacial designs, and perovskite/CIGS tandems—are examined to identify pathways beyond single-junction efficiency limits. The results indicate that coordinated optimization of composition gradients, carrier-selective contacts, and interface passivation can enable power conversion efficiencies exceeding 30% in numerical simulations under idealized conditions. However, these values represent theoretical upper bounds, while experimentally certified efficiencies remain significantly lower, underscoring the importance of incorporating realistic material properties and recombination mechanisms in modeling. Overall, this work highlights the central role of multi-physics simulation in guiding the design and experimental realization of next-generation high-efficiency CIGS solar cells.

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