Performance vs. microstructure in RF sputtered CdS/CdTe solar cells

Author

Shao, M. ; Jayamaha, U. ; Bykov, E. ; Tabory, C.N. ; Compaan, A.D.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys. & Astron., Toledo Univ., OH, USA

fYear

1996

fDate

13-17 May 1996

Firstpage

869

Lastpage

872

Abstract

In RF sputtering the film microstructure can be affected by many factors including substrate temperature, sputter gas pressure, substrate bias, and the magnetic field of the magnetron. In this paper we examine principally the effects of pressure, substrate bias, and the magnetic field of the planar magnetron sputter source on the microstructure and relate this to the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells in which both semiconductor layers were grown by RF sputtering. With careful choice of gas pressure and magnetic field configuration, we have demonstrated an all-RF-sputtered CdS/CdTe solar cell with AM 1.5 efficiency of 11.6% as confirmed by NREL

Keywords

II-VI semiconductors; cadmium compounds; crystal microstructure; magnetic fields; semiconductor growth; semiconductor materials; semiconductor thin films; solar cells; sputtered coatings; substrates; 11.6 percent; AM 1.5 efficiency; CdS-CdTe; CdS/CdTe solar cells performance; RF sputtered CdS/CdTe solar cells; film microstructure; magnetic field; magnetron; microstructure; planar magnetron sputter source; sputter gas pressure; substrate bias; substrate temperature; Magnetic fields; Magnetic flux; Magnetic semiconductors; Microstructure; Photovoltaic cells; Plasma measurements; Radio frequency; Sputtering; Substrates; Surface morphology;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1996., Conference Record of the Twenty Fifth IEEE

Conference_Location

Washington, DC

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3166-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1996.564266

Filename

564266