Simulation and Design of CIGS Thin Film Solar Cell using Distributed Bragg Reflector

CIGS is a better replacement of Si solar cell having low possibility of damage different layers is used for CIGS cell which decreases short current losses. CIGS solar cell technology is a very highly competitive and also need less raw material as well as low cost of fabrication. As compared to C-Si (~11000C) thermal budge is very low for the production of CIGS modules about (~550 0C approximately). The comparison of weight C-Si solar panels have lesser weight than CIGS because in CIGS solar panels there are two glass panes and in C-Si there is only one pane of glass are used. The absorption coefficient of CIGS is high as compare to C-Si because CIGS solar cells using direct band gap materials and C-Si included in indirect band gap material and having lower absorption coefficient property (104/cm) that's why CIGS solar cell thickness is 100 times lesser than as compare to C-Si solar cells. There are a lot of techniques to increase the efficiency and decrease transmission losses but the scope of this work covers how to use DBR (Distributed Bragg Reflector) as a back reflector and also examining its effect on decreasing thickness of the absorber layer. In real world it is not possible to reduce the transmission losses approximately equal to zero because some part of the light is absorbed and lost in metal used at the rear surface of the cell in the form of heat but reflection losses can be reduced up to zero. It is seen that mostly in conventional thin film solar cells thick metal plate is used at the rear surface of the solar cell for increasing reflection and decreasing transmission losses at the back surface of the cell. A huge proportion of heat is lost due to the collision of incident photons with metallic surfaces. However, DBR is tested in CIGS solar cell for increasing back surface reflection and increasing light trapping by this research work.