Theoretical analysis of the photovoltaic performance of a high-efficiency ZnGa2Te4-based solar cell

A complete three-dimensional computer-aided simulation has been accomplished by COMSOL Multiphysics software to examine the optical 3D photogeneration rate, electric field response, thermal distribution, impact of physical parameters on PV parameters, resistance, temperature, and surface recombination velocity on ZnGa 2 Te 4 (ZGT) solar cell, where ZnSe and GeS are utilized as window or emitter and back surface field (BSF) layers, respectively . In the course of this analysis, the physical parameters, including layer thickness, carrier and bulk defect concentration, have been analyzed to determine the optimized condition of the n-ZnSe/p-ZnGa 2 Te 4 /p + -GeS solar structure, which has been evaluated through a systematic modeling approach. Without the GeS layer, the values of photovoltaic (PV) parameters are power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.87% with V OC = 0.90 V, J SC =28.05 mA/cm 2 , and FF =82.68%. With the GeS BSF layer, the optimized device parameters yield a PCE of 30.22% for the developed device with a V OC = 1.04V, J SC = 33.11 mA/cm 2 , and FF = 87.77%. The promising performance of the proposed earth-abundant ZGT PV device demonstrates its considerable potential not only to meet the energy crisis but also as a possible alternative to the existing solar compounds.