CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D

<p dir="ltr">Intermediate band solar cells (IBSC) have drawn significant attention recently due to their potential to surpass the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Herein, we investigate the suitability of a CdS film as the <i>p</i>+/IB/<i>n</i>+ layers with...

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Main Author: Megat Mohd Izhar Sapeli (18696457) (author)
Other Authors: Kazi Sajedur Rahman (18696454) (author), Yoganash Putthisigamany (18696451) (author), Nurkhaizan Zulkepli (22631363) (author), Mohd Zaki Mohd Yusoff (22631366) (author), Mohammad Istiaque Hossain (17944964) (author), Brahim Aissa (10591619) (author), Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan (17944967) (author)
Published: 2025
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author Megat Mohd Izhar Sapeli (18696457)
author2 Kazi Sajedur Rahman (18696454)
Yoganash Putthisigamany (18696451)
Nurkhaizan Zulkepli (22631363)
Mohd Zaki Mohd Yusoff (22631366)
Mohammad Istiaque Hossain (17944964)
Brahim Aissa (10591619)
Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan (17944967)
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author_facet Megat Mohd Izhar Sapeli (18696457)
Kazi Sajedur Rahman (18696454)
Yoganash Putthisigamany (18696451)
Nurkhaizan Zulkepli (22631363)
Mohd Zaki Mohd Yusoff (22631366)
Mohammad Istiaque Hossain (17944964)
Brahim Aissa (10591619)
Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan (17944967)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Megat Mohd Izhar Sapeli (18696457)
Kazi Sajedur Rahman (18696454)
Yoganash Putthisigamany (18696451)
Nurkhaizan Zulkepli (22631363)
Mohd Zaki Mohd Yusoff (22631366)
Mohammad Istiaque Hossain (17944964)
Brahim Aissa (10591619)
Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan (17944967)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-11-10T18:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1016/j.physleta.2025.131143
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/CdS-based_intermediate_band_solar_cells_IBSC_A_numerical_investigation_using_SCAPS-1D/30636320
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
Materials engineering
CdS thin film
SRH recombination
Intermediate band solar cell
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">Intermediate band solar cells (IBSC) have drawn significant attention recently due to their potential to surpass the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Herein, we investigate the suitability of a CdS film as the <i>p</i>+/IB/<i>n</i>+ layers within the IBSC structure using numerical solutions. Initial benchmarking with the theoretically reported device in the literature is performed by incorporating optimal, non-overlapping sub-bandgap absorption using a custom ASCII file. It is observed that the simulated device can effectively harness energy from low-energy red light to high-energy violet light by employing three optical transitions. The results confirm that a thickness of 1 µm and a donor concentration of 10<sup>14</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> are optimal for the absorber to reach the upper limit efficiency of 46%, with both the <i>p</i>+ and <i>n</i>+ layers being 0.1 µm thick with an acceptor/donor density of 10<sup>18</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup>, respectively. The field near the junction is shown to amplify, and the depletion width is widest at 0.97 µm, approximating the thickness of the absorber at this donor level. Additionally, inadequate impurity-host atom substitution could lead to the formation of discrete levels, which are detrimental at high defect concentrations. A defect concentration of 10<sup>18</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> counteracts the contribution from generation, thus detrimentally depreciating the overall efficiency.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Physics Letters A<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physleta.2025.131143" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physleta.2025.131143</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_a740de818f6b0ff1c8b6fa394e0daa52
identifier_str_mv 10.1016/j.physleta.2025.131143
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/30636320
publishDate 2025
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rights_invalid_str_mv CC BY 4.0
spelling CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1DMegat Mohd Izhar Sapeli (18696457)Kazi Sajedur Rahman (18696454)Yoganash Putthisigamany (18696451)Nurkhaizan Zulkepli (22631363)Mohd Zaki Mohd Yusoff (22631366)Mohammad Istiaque Hossain (17944964)Brahim Aissa (10591619)Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan (17944967)EngineeringElectrical engineeringElectronics, sensors and digital hardwareMaterials engineeringCdS thin filmSRH recombinationIntermediate band solar cell<p dir="ltr">Intermediate band solar cells (IBSC) have drawn significant attention recently due to their potential to surpass the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Herein, we investigate the suitability of a CdS film as the <i>p</i>+/IB/<i>n</i>+ layers within the IBSC structure using numerical solutions. Initial benchmarking with the theoretically reported device in the literature is performed by incorporating optimal, non-overlapping sub-bandgap absorption using a custom ASCII file. It is observed that the simulated device can effectively harness energy from low-energy red light to high-energy violet light by employing three optical transitions. The results confirm that a thickness of 1 µm and a donor concentration of 10<sup>14</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> are optimal for the absorber to reach the upper limit efficiency of 46%, with both the <i>p</i>+ and <i>n</i>+ layers being 0.1 µm thick with an acceptor/donor density of 10<sup>18</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup>, respectively. The field near the junction is shown to amplify, and the depletion width is widest at 0.97 µm, approximating the thickness of the absorber at this donor level. Additionally, inadequate impurity-host atom substitution could lead to the formation of discrete levels, which are detrimental at high defect concentrations. A defect concentration of 10<sup>18</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> counteracts the contribution from generation, thus detrimentally depreciating the overall efficiency.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Physics Letters A<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physleta.2025.131143" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physleta.2025.131143</a></p>2025-11-10T18:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1016/j.physleta.2025.131143https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/CdS-based_intermediate_band_solar_cells_IBSC_A_numerical_investigation_using_SCAPS-1D/30636320CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/306363202025-11-10T18:00:00Z
spellingShingle CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D
Megat Mohd Izhar Sapeli (18696457)
Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
Materials engineering
CdS thin film
SRH recombination
Intermediate band solar cell
status_str publishedVersion
title CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D
title_full CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D
title_fullStr CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D
title_full_unstemmed CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D
title_short CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D
title_sort CdS-based intermediate band solar cells (IBSC): A numerical investigation using SCAPS-1D
topic Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
Materials engineering
CdS thin film
SRH recombination
Intermediate band solar cell