Performance Evaluation of Solar Cells by Different Simulating Softwares

In the contemporary era of technological advancements, solar energy emerges as a promising and easily implementable solution to meet future energy demands sustainably. This chapter delves into recent innovative techniques and simulation software pertaining to this environmentally friendly technology, focusing on device simulation, novel structures, and cutting-edge methods. A comparative analysis among major solar cell modeling simulators, such as PC1D, SCAPS-1D, wxAMPS-1D, AMPS-1D, ASA, Gpvdm, SETFOS, PECSIM, ASPIN, ADEPT, AFORS-HET, TCAD, and SILVACO ALTAS, is presented. These simulators not only aid in analyzing fabricated cells but also predict the impact of device modifications. The current year has witnessed significant efforts in developing sustainable energy systems through innovative solar cell simulators and semiconductor models. A concise evaluation of well-established solar cell simulators is provided to identify the most reliable tool for assessing photovoltaic technology performance. The chapter offers a user-friendly linear operating procedure and a congenial dialog box for multi-junction solar cells, providing valuable benefits for scientists, researchers, and skilled programmers in the photovoltaic community. This solar simulation software plays a crucial role in designing environment-friendly solar energy systems and calculating potential solar PV system outcomes for various projects, both grid-tied and off-grid, continually improving the solar energy technology landscape

Performance Evaluation of Modified Zinc-Phthalocyanine Groups as an Active Material in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The increasing demand for energy and electricity and the depletion of fossil fuels are global problems. In recent years, dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) technologies have gained notoriety for their application in solar energy. DSSCs are considered a promising alternative renewable energy source to both inorganic and organic photovoltaic (PV) cells. Many types of dyes are being investigated to enhance the light-harvesting properties of DSSCs, but the actual realization of these absorbers in cell structure requires optimum parameters. The main aim of this study was to simulate proposed zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPC)-based structures to validate their design, assess their performance for commercial implementation, and optimize the cell parameters for optimum efficiency. To that end, Scaps-1D was employed to evaluate the performance of DSSCs to determine their optimum parameters. We found that ZnPC and isopropoxy ZnPC molecules outperform others molecules because of better optoelectronic properties. Several other parametric effects, such as photoactive layer thicknesses, doping densities, trap densities, and charge carrier mobilities, were also evaluated to observe their impact on device performance. The results show that moderate thickness, low defect density, moderate doping, and charge carrier mobility are favorable for better device performance due to low recombination losses, electrical losses, and better transport of charge carriers. The utmost power conversion efficiency values found for ZnPC- and ZnPC: PC70BM-based DSSCs after optimization were 9.50% and 9.81%. This paper also suggests a practical method for efficiently using DSSC cells by modifying factors that are significantly reliant on DSSC performance and output

Performance Analysis and Optimization of a PBDB-T:ITIC Based Organic Solar Cell Using Graphene Oxide as the Hole Transport Layer

The hole transport layer (HTL) in organic solar cells (OSCs) plays an imperative role in boosting the cell’s performance. PEDOT:PSS is a conventional HTL used in OSCs owing to its high design cost and instability issues. It can be replaced with graphene oxide to increase the cell performance by overcoming instability issues. Graphene oxide (GO) has gained popularity in recent years for its practical use in solar energy due to its remarkable mechanical, electrical, thermal, and optical properties. This work uses SCAPS-1D to examine the results of graphene oxide (GO)-based organic solar cells by giving a comparison between the performance of absorber layers and a GO-based HTL to see which absorber material interacts more strongly with GO. The absorber layer PBDB-T:ITIC paired with GO as HTL outperforms the other absorber layers due to its better optical and electrical characteristics. Numerical simulations are performed within the SCAPS software at various absorber layer thicknesses, defect densities, and doping values to assess the influence on device performance and efficiency. After cell optimization, the best efficiency of an improved OSC is found to be 17.36%, and the outcomes of the simulated OSC are referenced to the results of the experimentally implemented OSC. These results provide a possible future direction for developing GO-based OSCs with higher efficiency

Preparation and Numerical Optimization of TiO₂:CdS Thin Films in Double Perovskite Solar Cell

This work focuses on preparing TiO2, CdS, and composite TiO2:CdS thin films for photovoltaic applications by thermal evaporation. The suggested materials exhibit very good optical and electrical properties and can play a significant role in enhancing the efficiency of the device. Various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques were considered to investigate the optical, morphological, photoluminescence, and electrical properties. FTIR confirms the material identification by displaying some peaks in the fingerprint region. UV Vis spectroscopy yields high transmission (80–90%) and low absorbance (5–10%) within the spectral region from 500 nm to 800 nm for the composite thin films. The optical band gap values for CdS, TiO2, and TiO2:CdS thin films are 2.42 eV, 3.72 eV, and 3.6 eV. XRD was utilized to analyze the amorphous nature of the thin films, while optical and SEM microscopy were employed to examine the morphological changes caused by the addition of CdS to TiO2. The decrease in the bandgap of the composite thin films was determined by the Tauc plot, which is endorsed due to the band tailing effects. Photoluminescence spectroscopy depicts several emission peaks in the visible region when they are excited at different wavelengths, and the electrical measurement enhances the material conductivity. Furthermore, the proposed electron transport materials (TiO2, CdS, TiO2:CdS) were simulated with different perovskite materials to validate their design by employing the SCAPS-1D program and assess their performance in commercial implementation. The observed results suggest that TiO2:CdS is a promising candidate to be used as an ETM in PSC with enhanced productivity

Numerical Design and Optimization of Near-Infrared Band- Pass Filter

Band-pass filters functioning in the near-infrared (IR) range are desired for laser technology, multi-photon fluorescence, and IR imaging applications. In this study, we have designed four band-pass filters in the near Infrared spectrum (900-1200 nm) by vertically stacking different high and low-index materials. The band-pass filters are modelled by Essential Macleod software with different thicknesses. The layer’s thicknesses were optimized in such a way to provide the negligible reflectance and maximum transmission on the front side. All the simulated band-pass filters exhibit high transmittance, but TiO2/Al2O3 and Ta2O5/Al2O3 outperforms other modelled structure in terms of performance due to the better incorporation of high and low-index material. Furthermore, we have also investigated the effect of different substrates. Out of all substrates, glass and ITO substrates performed well because their refractive index is in close proximity to the requirements to get minimum reflectance. These findings point to a viable future approach for optical band-pass filters operating in the infrared spectrum

A Study of the Structural and Surface Morphology and Photoluminescence of Ni-Doped AlN Thin Films Grown by Co-Sputtering

Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a semiconductor material possessing a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure with a large band gap of 6.2 eV. AlN thin films have several potential applications and areas for study, particularly in optoelectronics. This research study focused on the preparation of Ni-doped AlN thin films by using DC and RF magnetron sputtering for optoelectronic applications. Additionally, a comparative analysis was also carried out on the as-deposited and annealed thin films. Several spectroscopy and microscopy techniques were considered for the characterization of structural (X-ray diffraction), morphological (SEM), chemical bonding (FTIR), and emission (PL spectroscopy) properties. The XRD results show that the thin films have an oriented c-axis hexagonal structure. SEM analysis validated the granular-like morphology of the deposited sample, and FTIR results confirm the presence of chemical bonding in deposited thin films. The photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra exhibit different peaks in the visible region when excited at different wavelengths. A sharp and intense photoluminescence peak was observed at 426 nm in the violet-blue region, which can be attributed to inter-band transitions due to the incorporation of Ni in AlN. Most of the peaks in the PL spectra occurred due to direct-band recombination and indirect impurity-band recombination. After annealing, the intensity of all observed peaks increases drastically due to the development of new phases, resulting in a decrease in defects and a corresponding increase in the crystallinity of the thin film. The observed structural, morphological, and photoluminescence results suggest that Ni: AlN is a promising candidate to be used in optoelectronics applications, specifically in photovoltaic devices and lasers