SnTe as a BSF enhances the performance of Sb₂Se₃ based solar cell: A numerical approach

This theoretical investigation's primary goal is to investigate how the Sb₂Se₃ solar cell's performance may be improved. Here, SnTe, as an innovative back surface field (BSF) layer, has been added between the rear contact (Mo) and absorber layer (Sb₂Se₃). Above the absorber layer, the structure comprises a thin CdS buffer layer. For each layer of the Al/CdS/Sb₂Se₃/SnTe/Mo structure, the physical characteristics such as the active layer's thicknesses, carrier concentration, defect density, and rear electrode's work function are determined. The suggested cell outperformed the solar cell without the SnTe layer, which had an efficiency of 20.33%, with enhanced efficiency and open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 28.25% and 0.86 V, respectively, at 300 K. The above solar cell used 0.15 μm SnTe layer, 0.05 μm CdS, and 2.0 μm Sb₂Se₃ layer. The features of the antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) based solar structure is examined using the SCAPS-1D software, which simulates solar cells in one dimension. Investigations have also been done into how working temperatures influence the I-V parameters of the structure.