OPTIMIZATION OF ELECTRON AFFINITY IN IN2S3 BUFFER LAYERS FOR CIGS SOLAR CELLS: A SILVACO ATLAS SIMULATION STUDY

Abstract

This study aims to optimize the electron affinity of the indium sulfide (In2S3) buffer layer in CIGS solar cells in order to provide a non-toxic alternative to conventional CdS. In2 S3 exhibits several attractive properties, including a wide optical bandgap (2-2.9 eV), high optical transparency, and a tunable electron affinity that enables control of band alignment at the heterojunction interface.A numerical investigation was carried out using the SILVACO ATLAS device simulator to analyze the influence of the buffer-layer electron affinity (x = 4.0-4.8 eV) on the main photovoltaic parameters (J_SC,V_OC,FF, and n), as well as on the parasitic resistances (R_s and R_sh).