Enhancing CIGS Solar Cell Efficiency through Gold, Silver, and Aluminum Plasmonic Nanostructures

Plasmonic nanostructures offer significant benefits for enhancing solar cell performance by improving light absorption, charge carrier generation, exciton separation, and reducing recombination. However, challenges such as current reduction must be addressed through careful material selection and optimization. CIGS-based solar cells, known for their cost-effectiveness and superior efficiency compared to silicon-based cells, are further improved with plasmonic nanostructures. This study investigates the impact of plasmonic effects on CIGS solar cells, showing that the efficiency depends on the Dimensions, Geometry, and arrangement of the nano elements. Simulations of optical and electrical properties, including absorption curves and current-voltage characteristics, reveal that Sample 5 (a solar cell with gold spherical elements at the top of the absorber layer and gold cubic elements at the bottom), which combines two plasmonic nanostructure series, achieves the highest efficiency increase of 25.13%. However, a single plasmonic nanostructure in the active layer offers similar efficiencies with greater cost-effectiveness and simplified manufacturing. These findings highlight the potential of single-series plasmonic nanostructures for advancing solar technology while ensuring practical feasibility in production.