Numerical Modeling of n-CdTe/p-ZnTe Thin Film Solar Cells

Improving the open circuit voltage (V
OC
) has always been a critical need and focus in the research of CdTe solar cells. High n-type doping in CdTe is easier to achieve compare to p-type doping. In this paper, numerical simulations are used to investigate the factors that impact V
OC
in n-CdTe/p-ZnTe heterojunction solar cells. The impact of the properties of the n-CdTe absorber layer, p-ZnTe window layer and n-CdTe/p-ZnTe heterojunction interface have been studied. Simulation results from SCAPS-1D and AMPS-1D have been utilized to demonstrate the impact of n-type doping concentration, minority carrier lifetime and absorber/emitter interface defect density on device performance and are presented in this manuscript.