Proposal and Design of Flexible All-Polymer/CIGS Tandem Solar Cell

Abstract

Tandem solar cells (TSCs) have attracted prodigious attention for their high efficiency, which can surmount the Shockley–Queisser limit for single-junction solar cells. Flexible TSCs are lightweight and cost-effective, and are considered a promising approach for a wide range of applications. In this paper, a numerical model, based on TCAD simulation, is presented to assess the performance of a novel two-terminal (2T) all-polymer/CIGS TSC. To confirm the model, the obtained simulation results were compared with standalone fabricated all-polymer and CIGS single solar cells. Common properties of the polymer and CIGS complementary candidates are their non-toxicity and flexibility. The initial top all-polymer solar cell had a photoactive blend layer (PM7:PIDT), the optical bandgap of which was 1.76 eV, and the initial bottom cell had a photoactive CIGS layer, with a bandgap of 1.15 eV. The simulation was then carried out on the initially connected cells, revealing a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.77%. Next, some optimization techniques were applied to enhance the tandem performance. Upon treating the band alignment, the PCE became 18.57%, while the optimization of polymer and CIGS thicknesses showed the best performance, reflected by a PCE of 22.73%. Moreover, it was found that the condition of current matching did not necessarily meet the maximum PCE condition, signifying the essential role of full optoelectronic simulations. All TCAD simulations were performed via an Atlas device simulator, where the light illumination was AM1.5G. The current study can offer design strategies and effective suggestions for flexible thin-film TSCs for potential applications in wearable electronics.