Achieving 31.50% efficiency in CuI/CdTe/CdS/TiO ₂ solar cells: a SCAPS-1D simulation study of temperature and resistance effects

Abstract This study investigates the impact of temperature and resistive losses on the performance of a CuI/CdTe/CdS/TiO2 heterojunction thin-film solar cell, utilizing numerical simulations conducted in SCAPS-1D. The influence of absorber layer thickness, operating temperature, series resistance, and shunt resistance on key photovoltaic parameters, including open-circuit voltage (V OC ), short-circuit current density (J SC ), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (PCE), was systematically analyzed. Simulation results show that optimal absorber thickness (∼2 μm) leads to a maximum PCE of 31.50% by balancing photon absorption and carrier recombination. An increase in temperature causes a notable decline in V OC and FF, resulting in efficiency degradation, despite minimal changes in J SC and quantum efficiency. The study further reveals that higher series resistance leads to substantial reductions in FF and PCE, while higher shunt resistance enhances both. These findings emphasize the importance of thermal and electrical stability, providing valuable insights for optimizing CdTe-based solar cells for improved performance.