The public discussion took place for the Doctoral student (Bashar Muhammad Salih) at Anbar University, College of Science, Department of Physics, on Monday 28/10/2024 in Ibn Sina Hall, for his tagged thesis

" Simulation and Experimental Study of Nanostructures AlGaN/CdS/Si Double heterojunction for Solar Cells Applications"

The discussion committee consisted of:

 The aim of this work is to explore the design, simulation, and fabrication processes involved in developing AlGaN/CdS/Si solar cells. controlling and optimizing various cell parameters. This study aims to thoroughly investigate the optoelectronic properties of the AlGaN/CdS/Si solar cell to contribute to advancing solar cell technology Significant conclusions have been drawn based on the results achieved in this study. Significant improvements in the efficiency of solar cells were observed in the cells that incorporated an AlGaN layer. This layer effectively absorbs ultraviolet radiation, allowing the solar cell to cover a broader region of the electromagnetic spectrum and thus improving its overall performance. The simulation results exhibited good convergence with the experimental results, validating the accuracy of the simulation model used in this study. The simulation results also indicate an increase in the AlGaN layer's thickness negatively impacts the solar cells' efficiency. The thicker layer blocks more of the electromagnetic spectrum, which reduces its contribution to generating electron-hole pairs. As a result, the open circuit voltage remains relatively constant while the short circuit current decreases with increasing thickness due to increasing the electrical electrical resistance of the cell. These findings highlight the importance of precise control over fabrication conditions to achieve optimal solar cell efficiency. Additionally, the study found that the work function of the front and back contact metals highly affects the solar cell characteristics, including open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, filling factor, and solar efficiency. The study underscores the significant impact of deposition parameters and target compositions on the performance of AlGaN/CdS/Si solar cells. By optimizing these factors, the efficiency and effectiveness of solar cells can be enhanced, contributing to the advancement of solar cell technology.