Time-resolved correlative optical microscopy of charge-carrier transport, recombination, and space-charge fields in CdTe heterostructures

Kuciauskas, Darius; Myers, Thomas H.; Barnes, Teresa M.; Jensen, Søren A.; Allende Motz, Alyssa M.

doi:10.1063/1.4976696

Time-resolved correlative optical microscopy of charge-carrier transport, recombination, and space-charge fields in CdTe heterostructures

Journal Article · Mon Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 2017 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4976696· OSTI ID:1349803

^[1]; ^[2]; Barnes, Teresa M. ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[3]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Texas State Univ., San Marcos, TX (United States)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

From time- and spatially resolved optical measurements, we show that extended defects can have a large effect on the charge-carrier recombination in II-VI semiconductors. In CdTe double heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy on the InSb (100)-orientation substrates, we characterized the extended defects and found that near stacking faults the space-charge field extends by 2-5 μm. Charge carriers drift (with the space-charge field strength of 730-1,360 V cm^-1) and diffuse (with the mobility of 260 ± 30 cm² V^-1 s^-1) toward the extended defects, where the minority-carrier lifetime is reduced from 560 ns to 0.25 ns. Furthermore, the extended defects are nonradiative recombination sinks that affect areas significantly larger than the typical crystalline grains in II-VI solar cells. From the correlative time-resolved photoluminescence and second-harmonic generation microscopy data, we developed a band-diagram model that can be used to analyze the impact of extended defects on solar cells and other electronic devices.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States))

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1349803

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1348947

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA--5900-67479

Journal Information:: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 110; ISSN 0003-6951

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Time-resolved correlative optical microscopy of charge-carrier transport, recombination, and space-charge fields in CdTe heterostructures

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