Polycrystalline thin film CdTe solar cells fabricated by electrodeposition

Author

Kim, Donghwan ; Pozder, Scott ; Zhu, Yuming ; Trefny, John U.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys., Colorado Sch. of Mines, Golden, CO, USA

Volume

1

fYear

1994

fDate

5-9 Dec 1994

Firstpage

334

Abstract

Several issues regarding the fabrication of CdTe solar cells by electrodeposition have been investigated. The CdTe deposition parameters were optimized as follows: the deposition current density J_dep=0.33-0.40 mA/cm², the anode current ratio R _TeCd/=2.7, and the deposition potential V_dep=-600 mV against a Ag/AgCl reference electrode. CdCl₂, treatment and subsequent annealing made a significant change in the composition: the film became Cd-rich throughout its whole thickness, and the concentrations of both Cd and CI increased near the surface. Electron beam-induced current (EBIC) data showed a peak inside the CdTe layer suggesting a buried homojunction. Use of CdS double layers composed of a CdCl₂-treated, annealed CdS underlayer covered with an as-deposited CdS overlayer resulted in a significant increase in open-circuit voltage V_∝ up to 0.78 V. 11.0% CdS/CdTe/Au dot cells (0.033 cm²) have been produced in this work

Keywords

EBIC; II-VI semiconductors; annealing; cadmium compounds; electrodeposition; electrodeposits; p-n junctions; semiconductor device testing; semiconductor growth; semiconductor thin films; solar cells; -600 mV; 0.78 V; CdTe; annealing; anode current ratio; buried homojunction; deposition current density; deposition parameters; dot cells; electrodeposition; electron beam-induced current; fabrication; open-circuit voltage; polycrystalline semiconductor; reference electrode; thin-film solar cells; Annealing; Anodes; Current density; Electrodes; Electron beams; Fabrication; Photovoltaic cells; Surface treatment; Tellurium; Transistors;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 1994., Conference Record of the Twenty Fourth. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1994, 1994 IEEE First World Conference on

Conference_Location

Waikoloa, HI

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1460-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/WCPEC.1994.519969

Filename

519969