Artificial bee colony algorithm a novel strategy for optical constants and thin film thickness extraction using only optical transmittance spectra for photovoltaic Applications

Abstract An effective approach to determine thin film thickness ( d ) and optical constants ( n , k , α ) from transmittance spectrum with interference fringes is proposed. The developed strategy is based on applying the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm and Cauchy dispersion model. The accuracy test of this method has been assessed by using simulated and real tests. Simulated test is used to check the ability of ABC algorithm to determine the parameters of simulated transmittance spectra. Real test deals with the investigation of the determination approach on experimental measured transmittance spectra. Those spectra were measured from six elaborated samples of amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) thin films with different thicknesses, which will be used as an eco-friendly layer for solar cell applications. The obtained results noticeably show the high effectiveness of the developed strategy to accurately determine the thin film thickness and optical constants.