Enhancing the Efficiency of a CdS/CdTe Solar Cell Cost Effectively with a BSF Layer

Second-generation solar cells, particularly Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) as a semiconductor material, represent a significant advancement in the photovoltaic industry. However, the combination of cost-effectiveness and high efficiency in CdTe solar cells has not been fully achieved, leaving a significant research gap. Starting from a laboratory-developed Cadmium Sulfide/Cadmium Telluride (CdS/CdTe) solar cell, this study performs a numerical study to obtain a methodology to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of that solar cell cost-effectively. Therefore, a novel mathematical model is developed to calculate the most optimum thickness for the CdTe layer to enhance the PCE of the cell cost-effectively. Subsequently, various materials for the Back Surface Field (BSF) layer are considered to optimize the electron-hole pair separation and reduce recombination losses while improving the PCE. Accordingly, Zinc Telluride (ZnTe) is the most appropriate material for the BSF layer. Finally, using optimum absorber layer thickness and selected BSF layer, the PCE of the CdS/CdTe solar cell is enhanced from $14.7 \%$ to $\mathbf{25.1\%}$.