article · Materials Science for Energy Technologies
Perovskite solar cell efficiency depends strongly on the thickness of the absorber layer. Using numerical modelling through SCAPS-1D software, the electrical performance of a solar cell was evaluated across varying active layer thicknesses. Key metrics, including short-circuit current density, open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and power conversion efficiency, were derived from current-voltage curves. The analysis also incorporated simulated complex impedance and modulus functions to observe electrical responses. This method separates the distinct impacts of ionic diffusion and carrier recombination mechanisms as thickness changes. The findings show that variations in absorber thickness alter diffusion and recombination behaviour differently, directly dictating overall device performance. Across both current-voltage analysis and impedance modelling, an optimal absorber thickness of 700 nanometres produced the maximum power conversion efficiency.
Developing highly efficient perovskite solar cells requires balancing light absorption with internal electrical losses. By combining standard performance metrics with impedance modelling, researchers can accurately pinpoint how thickness governs charge movement and recombination. Identifying an ideal thickness of 700 nanometres provides a clear design benchmark to guide the physical fabrication of higher-performing, next-generation solar devices without extensive trial-and-error prototyping.
The findings can inform solar cell designers and manufacturers seeking to optimise perovskite thin-film architectures for higher power yields. Because the study relies on SCAPS-1D numerical simulations rather than experimental fabrication, the work represents early-stage design research. Translating these simulated parameters into commercial production requires experimental validation and practical manufacturing trials to confirm whether physical cells achieve the predicted 700-nanometre optimum.
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Absorber thickness is one among keys parameters that can have significant effects on the performance of the solar cell. An appropriate absorber thickness should be chosen to optimize the performance of the cell.The main objective of this work is to offer a perovskite solar cell with high efficiency using a suitable thickness of the active layer. Therefore, this study focuses on the optimization of the solar cell thickness, which can also be achieved by using simulation with SCAPS-1D, to predict the performance of the cell at different thicknesses. In this case, the four main parameters; the short circuit current density, the open-circuit voltage, fill factor and power of conversion efficiency, were extracted and analyzed from I–V characteristics at different thicknesses. In addition, the complex impedance data were also generated by using simulation with SCAPS-1D. To the best of our knowledge, this approach was not used before for many works carried out by SCAPS-1D simulation; where these studies were limited to I-V characteristics. This novel approach to investigating the electrical response of this solar cell concerning thickness involves the integration of complex impedance and modulus functions. This integration enables us to discern the respective contributions of ionic diffusion and recombination processes, through our deconvolution procedure, the results obtained indicate the absorber layer thickness increases, the diffusion and recombination processes are affected differently, subsequently influencing the overall performance of the solar cell. Both methodologies employed in this study consistently identified the maximum efficiency at an optimal thickness of 700 nm.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.mset.2023.10.001
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