CdTe-Based Solar Cells with Variations in Mg Concentration in the MgZnO Emitter

Pandey, Ramesh; Munshi, Amit; Shimpi, Tushar; Shah, Akash; Bothwell, Alexandra; Kuciauskas, Darius; Sites, James R.

doi:10.1002/solr.202100126

CdTe-Based Solar Cells with Variations in Mg Concentration in the MgZnO Emitter

Journal Article · Wed Apr 21 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Solar RRL

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202100126· OSTI ID:1782803

^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Shah, Akash ^[1]; Bothwell, Alexandra ^[1]; ^[2]; ^[1]

Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

The optimal fraction of Mg incorporation in sputter-deposited Mg_XZn_1-XO (MZO) emitters for thin-film CdTe-based solar cells is evaluated by varying it over a range of x from 0 to 0.35. This range allows a variation in the conduction band offset from -0.1 eV (cliff like) to +0.32 eV (spike like). A maximum efficiency of 18.5% for cells with the bilayer CdSeTe/CdTe absorber occurs at x=0.15, which corresponds to a spike-like band offset near 0.2 eV, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, good cell performance is seen over a fairly broad range of x extending from 0.1 to 0.25. Here, the MZO optical bandgap increases with the Mg fraction, consistent with an increasing conduction band offset. Temperature-dependent current-voltage measurements and time-resolved photoluminescence show improvement in the emitter/absorber interface with the incorporation of Mg. Capacitance-voltage measurements show that the depletion region extends further into the absorber with more Mg, and X-ray diffraction confirms a change from a hexagonal-dominant crystal structure toward zinc blende at x=0.35.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

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

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

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; EE0008557; EE0008974

OSTI ID:: 1782803

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1781239

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-79942; MainId:39160; UUID:936ac3c4-171c-4d2e-a533-ab0039af143b; MainAdminID:22444

Journal Information:: Solar RRL, Journal Name: Solar RRL Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 5; ISSN 2367-198X

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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