Key parameter optimization of ZnO/CdS/CIGS thin-film solar cells: A SCAPS-1D simulation study

This study presents a comprehensive numerical simulation analysis of ZnO/CdS/CIGS/Mo/Glass thin-film solar cells using SCAPS-1D software to investigate the effects of key parameters on device performance. The effects of CIGS absorber layer thickness (0.1–1.0 μm), operating temperature (300–400 K), and series resistance (1–5 Ω·cm²) on photovoltaic parameters were systematically analyzed. The optimized solar cell achieved a maximum efficiency of 17.78%, with Voc = 0.66 V, Jsc = 34.54 mA/cm², and FF = 77.88% at 1.0 μm thickness, 300 K, and 1 Ω·cm² series resistance. The results show that increasing temperature from 300 K to 400 K reduces efficiency from 17.78% to 11.31%, mainly due to Voc degradation. Similarly, increasing series resistance from 1 to 5 Ω·cm² decreases efficiency from 16.75% to 12.81% due to fill factor loss. These findings provide useful insights for the optimization of CIGS solar cells under practical operating conditions.