Interrelation of the CdTe Grain Size, Postgrowth Processing, and Window Layer Selection on Solar Cell Performance.


Shalvey, Thomas P, Bagshaw, Heath ORCID: 0000-0001-7209-9132 and Major, Jonathan D ORCID: 0000-0002-5554-1985 (2022) Interrelation of the CdTe Grain Size, Postgrowth Processing, and Window Layer Selection on Solar Cell Performance. ACS applied materials & interfaces, 14 (37). pp. 42188-42207.

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Abstract

Recent improvements to the CdTe solar cell device structure have focused on replacing the CdS window layer with a more transparent material to reduce parasitic absorption and increase <i>J</i><sub>sc</sub>, as well as incorporating selenium into the absorber layer to achieve a graded band gap. However, altering the CdTe device structure is nontrivial due to the interdependent nature of device processing steps. The choice of the window layer influences the grain structure of the CdTe layer, which in turn can affect the chloride treatment, which itself may contribute to intermixing between the window and absorber layers. This work studies three different device architectures in parallel, allowing for an in-depth comparison of processing conditions for CdTe solar cells grown on CdS, SnO<sub>2</sub>, and CdSe. Direct replacement of the CdS window layer with a wider band gap SnO<sub>2</sub> layer is hindered by poor growth of the absorber, producing highly strained CdTe films and a weak junction. This is alleviated by inserting a CdSe layer between the SnO<sub>2</sub> and CdTe, which improves the growth of CdTe and results in a graded CdSe<sub><i>x</i></sub>Te<sub>1-<i>x</i></sub> absorber layer. For each substrate, the CdTe deposition rate and postgrowth chloride treatment are systematically varied, highlighting the distinct processing requirements of each device structure.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: CdTe, solar cell, grain size, interface, device performance, CdSe, SnO2
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 17 Oct 2022 10:22
Last Modified: 23 Mar 2023 05:53
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c07609
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3165529
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