Controlled activation of ZnTe:Cu contacted CdTe solar cells using rapid thermal processing

Li, Jiaojiao; Diercks, David R.; Ohno, Timothy R.; Warren, Charles W.; Lonergan, Mark C.; Beach, Joseph D.; Wolden, Colin A.

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2014.10.045

Title: Controlled activation of ZnTe:Cu contacted CdTe solar cells using rapid thermal processing

Journal Article · Tue Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2014.10.045· OSTI ID:1579806

Li, Jiaojiao ^[1]; Diercks, David R. ^[1]; Ohno, Timothy R. ^[1]; Warren, Charles W. ^[2]; Lonergan, Mark C. ^[2]; Beach, Joseph D. ^[1]; Wolden, Colin A. ^[1]

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR (United States)

Back contacts can significantly limit CdTe solar cell performance, reducing both open circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF). Copper is an essential component of effective back contacts, but its presence in the CdTe absorber creates detrimental recombination centers. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) is demonstrated as a highly effective approach for reducing back contact barriers in CdTe solar cells contacted with ZnTe:Cu buffer layers, substantially improving both FF (473%) and V_oc (4850 mV). Current density and quantum efficiency remain essentially unchanged, but a five-fold increase in minority carrier lifetime is observed which is attributed to passivation of recombination sites in the back contact region. Quantitative analysis of secondary ion mass spectrometry shows that the majority of Cu segregates to the Au metallization layer and that the ZnTe buffer appears to inhibit the Cu diffusion into CdTe. 3D imaging of the back contact region using atom probe tomography shows that optimized devices are characterized by preferential segregation of copper to both the Au|ZnTe and CdTe|ZnTe interfaces, perhaps in the form of Cu_xTe. Finally, with its low thermal budget the RTP process has been successfully applied to multiple device architectures.

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Research Organization:: Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0004946; AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1579806

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1250103

Journal Information:: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 133, Issue C; ISSN 0927-0248

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 83 works

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Quantitative determination of optical and recombination losses in thin-film photovoltaic devices based on external quantum efficiency analysis Nakane, Akihiro; Tampo, Hitoshi; Tamakoshi, Masato Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 120, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4960698	journal	August 2016
Wet chemical etching of cadmium telluride photovoltaics for enhanced open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and power conversion efficiency Bastola, Ebin; Alfadhili, Fadhil K.; Phillips, Adam B. Journal of Materials Research, Vol. 34, Issue 24 https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2019.363	journal	December 2019
Analysis of a novel CuCl ₂ back contact process for improved stability in CdTe solar cells Artegiani, Elisa; Menossi, Daniele; Shiel, Huw Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.3148	journal	May 2019

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