Electro-Optical Characterization of Arsenic-Doped CdSeTe and CdTe Solar Cell Absorbers Doped in-situ During Close Space Sublimation

Danielson, Adam; Reich, Carey; Pandey, Ramesh; Munshi, Amit; Onno, Arthur; Weigand, Will; Kuciauskas, Darius; Li, Siming; Bothwell, Alexandra; Guo, Jinglong; Murugeson, Magesh; McCloy, John S.; Klie, Robert; Holman, Zachary C.; Sampath, Walajabad

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2022.112110

Title: Electro-Optical Characterization of Arsenic-Doped CdSeTe and CdTe Solar Cell Absorbers Doped in-situ During Close Space Sublimation

Journal Article · Mon Nov 28 00:00:00 EST 2022 · Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2022.112110· OSTI ID:1907627

Danielson, Adam; Reich, Carey; Pandey, Ramesh; Munshi, Amit; Onno, Arthur; Weigand, Will;

; Li, Siming; Bothwell, Alexandra; Guo, Jinglong; Murugeson, Magesh; McCloy, John S.; Klie, Robert; Holman, Zachary C.; Sampath, Walajabad

Most contemporary device models predict that an acceptor concentration of at least 10^16 cm^-3 is required to reach an open circuit voltage of 1 V in polycrystalline CdTe-based solar cells. While copper has traditionally been used as the de facto p-type dopant in polycrystalline cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium selenide telluride (CdSeTe), reaching high acceptor concentrations has proved to be challenging in such devices due to significant dopant compensation. The acceptor concentration in copper-doped CdTe and CdSeTe typically ranges from 10^13 to 10^15 cm^-3 and routinely exhibit low external radiative efficiencies below 0.01%, limiting their implied voltage (i.e., quasi-Fermi level splitting) to approximately 900 mV. As an alternative to copper, this work explores the use of arsenic as a p-type dopant for CdTe and CdSeTe. Using a novel technique in which a thin layer of arsenic-containing material is deposited and used as a reservoir for arsenic to diffuse into a front layer of previously undoped material, this contribution demonstrates that high external radiative efficiencies are achievable, a direct result of combined high acceptor concentrations and long minority-carrier lifetimes in the absorber. This leads to improved implied voltages, and indicates that As-doping represents a promising pathway towards improving the external voltage of CdSeTe/CdTe solar cells.

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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), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

DOE Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1907627

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-84900; MainId:85673; UUID:f15e110f-0ba3-468c-9013-b2b8f31f3662; MainAdminID:68363

Journal Information:: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 251

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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