Modeling and Optimization Validation of Sb₂2Se₃ Thin Film Solar Cells In SCAPS-1D Software
Abstract
This analytical essay discusses antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) as a potential candidate material to be used as a thin-film photovoltaic absorber. Sb2Se3 has provided significant ecological/economic benefits, including large optical absorption, an adjustable band gap of about 1.13 eV, and a lack of toxic elements. A parametric exploration was carried out in the current study based on the platform SCAPS-1D in order to identify ideal layer designs, interfaces, carrier dynamics, and band alignments. This analysis has focused on loss mechanisms which constrain photovoltaic performance in an effort to isolate and come up with strategies to inhibit Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, surface recombination, band-offset differences, and internal diffusion effects. The results provide practical suggestions for minimizing voltage losses, such as minimizing absorber/buffer thicknesses, minimizing acceptor densities, optimizing the conduction band offset as close to zero as possible, and minimizing surface recombination and defect densities.
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