Experimental and theoretical studies of (CdS) 1-x (ZnS)x thin-films for second generation CdS/CdTe solar cells

The current work focused on studying the optical and structural properties of (CdS)1-x (ZnS)x thin films fabricated by thermal vacuum evaporation approach. The evaporation was implemented at room temperature from bulk samples synthesis by sintering approach. The energy gap, index of refraction, extinction coefficient and absorption coefficient were estimated from the experiment and employed in our theoretical model to estimate quantitatively the solar cell efficiency and short-circuit current density of CdS:ZnS/CdTe structure. The calculations of cell efficiency as well as short-circuit current density were computed on the bases of the optical losses caused by reflection at interfaces and absorption process occurred in the frontal charge-collecting and window layers and the recombination losses at front and back surface of CdTe. The XRD analysis showed that the intensity and position of predominant peak of CdS …