Design and numerical simulation of CuBi2O4 solar cells with graphene quantum dots as hole transport layer under ideal and non-ideal conditions

Abstract

The simulation of ideal and non-ideal conditions using the SCAPS-1D simulator for novel structure Ag/FTO/CuBi2O4/GQD/Au was done for the first time. The recombination of charge carriers in CuBi2O4 is an inherent problem due to very low hole mobility and polaron transport in the valence band. The in-depth analysis of the simulation result revealed that Graphene Quantum Dots (GQDs) can act as an appropriate hole transport layer (HTL) and can enhance hole transportation. The simulation was done under ideal and nonideal conditions. The non-ideal conditions include parasitic resistances, reflection losses, radiative, and Auger recombination whereas the ideal condition was studied without the inclusion of any losses. Under ideal conditions, the cell Ag/FTO/CuBi2O4/GQD/Au exhibited a photovoltaic (PV) parameter such as open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current (Jsc), fill factor (FF), photo conversion efficiency (PCE) are 1.39 V, 25.898 mA/cm2, 90.92%, and 32.79%, respectively. The effect of various cell parameters such as the thickness of the absorber layer, HTL layer, and FTO, acceptor and defect density, the bandgap of the absorber and HTL layer, series and shunt resistance, back and front contact materials, radiation and Auger recombination of the absorber layer, reflection losses on the efficiency of the proposed cell is analysed. The drastic reduction in all PV parameters was observed under non-ideal conditions and the PV parameters are Voc (1.22 V), Jsc (2.904 mA/cm2), FF (86.3), and PCE of 3.06%. The charge kinetics such as impedance, conductivity, and capacitance plots, and possible reasons for reductions in PV parameters are discussed in detail.