Abstract
Abstract In this study, we investigated the potential of copper oxide (CuO) thin films as active layers in thin-film solar cells with a Glass/ITO/Graphite/CuO/Ni structure. Furthermore, the generation rate of charge carriers was derived by modeling the optical field distribution using a transfer metric simulation. Theoretical thresholds for photovoltaic device efficiency were determined for varying active layer thicknesses by employing a normalized light intensity equivalent to that of the AM1.5 spectrum. The current-voltage characteristics are modeled by semi-empirical methods, which illustrate that the photovoltaic conversion efficiency depends on the thickness of the active layer. The highest performance of the simulated structure of the solar cell was 25.2%, obtained for the 500 nm CuO films.