Overcoming Carrier Concentration Limits in Polycrystalline CdTe Thin Films with In Situ Doping

McCandless, Brian E.; Buchanan, Wayne A.; Thompson, Christopher P.; Sriramagiri, Gowri; Lovelett, Robert J.; Duenow, Joel; Albin, David; Jensen, Søren; Colegrove, Eric; Moseley, John; Moutinho, Helio; Harvey, Steve; Al-Jassim, Mowafak; Metzger, Wyatt K.

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-32746-y

Title: Overcoming Carrier Concentration Limits in Polycrystalline CdTe Thin Films with In Situ Doping

Journal Article · Fri Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Scientific Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32746-y· OSTI ID:1619583

; Buchanan, Wayne A.;

; Sriramagiri, Gowri;

; Duenow, Joel; Albin, David; Jensen, Søren;

; Moseley, John; Moutinho, Helio;

; Al-Jassim, Mowafak; Metzger, Wyatt K.

Abstract Thin film materials for photovoltaics such as cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper-indium diselenide-based chalcopyrites (CIGS), and lead iodide-based perovskites offer the potential of lower solar module capital costs and improved performance to microcrystalline silicon. However, for decades understanding and controlling hole and electron concentration in these polycrystalline films has been extremely challenging and limiting. Ionic bonding between constituent atoms often leads to tenacious intrinsic compensating defect chemistries that are difficult to control. Device modeling indicates that increasing CdTe hole density while retaining carrier lifetimes of several nanoseconds can increase solar cell efficiency to 25%. This paper describes in-situ Sb, As, and P doping and post-growth annealing that increases hole density from historic 10 ¹⁴ limits to 10 ¹⁶ –10 ¹⁷ cm ⁻³ levels without compromising lifetime in thin polycrystalline CdTe films, which opens paths to advance solar performance and achieve costs below conventional electricity sources.

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

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1619583

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1478186

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5K00-72611; 14519; PII: 32746

Journal Information:: Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Vol. 8 Journal Issue: 1; ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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Cited by: 69 works

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