Simulation and analysis of ZnO/SWCNT solar cell using the SCAPS-1D program

Abstract

The exceptional optical and electrical properties of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) material present significant potential for solar cells, especially when used with zinc oxide (ZnO) as a buffer layer. This study examines the electrical characteristics and performance metrics of ZnO/SWCNT solar cells using the SCAPS-1D software. Understanding the impact of various factors such as temperature, thickness, and operational resistors (R s and R sh ) on the performance of this photovoltaic device is crucial. The ZnO/SWCNT solar cell demonstrates impressive power conversion efficiency (η = 24.42 %), an open-circuit voltage (V oc ) of 0.7740 V, a short-circuit current density (J sc ) of 40.303777 mA/cm 2 , and a fill factor (FF) of 78.27 %. These parameters can be further enhanced through optimization, resulting in an efficiency of η = 26.44 %. Therefore, the results of this simulation suggest the potential for highly efficient solar cells and significant future technological advancements.