Numerical modelling of CuBi2O4 thin film solar cells using SCAPS-1D: towards practical efficiency

The development of highly efficient and cost-effective thin film-based photovoltaic cells for solar energy harvesting is urgently needed to fulfill the energy demand and achieve zero net carbon emissions. Copper bismuth oxide (CBO) is one of the novel materials for photoelectron generation due to its optimum bandgap of 1.5-1.80 eV. In recent years, many researchers have reported solar cell (SCs) efficiencies approaching the fundamental Shockley-Queisser limit. However, these results often rely on unrealistic input parameters. In this work, we have introduced parameters of non-ideal conditions such as resistive losses, optical, and radiative recombination losses, to evaluate the actual performance of the SCs structure consisting of ITO/ZnO/CuBi₂O₄/Au SCAPS-1D simulation. Under ideal conditions, SCs exhibited a maximum photoconversion efficiency of 23.83%, while applying all the non-ideal conditions, cell efficiency is dramatically reduced to 1.33%, which is almost a 94% decrement. This study predicts the actual performance of SCs and suggests that it may be achievable through experimental implementation.