NUMERICAL MODELING ON PROSPECTIVE BUFFER LAYERS FOR TUNGSTEN DI-SULFIDE (WS2) SOLAR CELLS BY SCAPS-1D.

In this study, tungsten di-sulphide (WS2), one of these key transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) materials, is used as solar cell absorber material with a suitable solar cell configuration and analyzed by SCAPS-1D. Other main focuses include optimum absorber layer thickness, suitable material for buffer layer instead of CdS and effect of operating temperature on solar cell performance. An efficiency of 19.48% (with Voc of 0.90 V, Jsc of 24.94 mA/cm² and fill factor of 0.86) has been found for the cell with CdS based buffer layer. High efficiency WS2 solar cells have the optimized absorber thickness in the range of 2 µm to 3 µm. Moreover, the desired thickness of the buffer layer is observed in between 40-60 nm. Among different types (ZnO, ZnSe, ZnS, CdS and In2S3) of buffer layers, ZnO based WS2 solar cell shows the potential to reach out the highest efficiency of 25.71%. However, cell with ZnO buffer layer shows a temperature gradient of -0.24%/K. All these simulation results provide significant hints that may lead to higher efficiency of WS2 solar cells with beneficial experimental studies in practical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]