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.
Danielson, Adam, et al. "Electro-Optical Characterization of Arsenic-Doped CdSeTe and CdTe Solar Cell Absorbers Doped in-situ During Close Space Sublimation." Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 251, Nov. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2022.112110
Danielson, Adam, Reich, Carey, Pandey, Ramesh, et al., "Electro-Optical Characterization of Arsenic-Doped CdSeTe and CdTe Solar Cell Absorbers Doped in-situ During Close Space Sublimation," Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 251 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2022.112110
@article{osti_1907627,
author = {Danielson, Adam and Reich, Carey and Pandey, Ramesh and Munshi, Amit and Onno, Arthur and Weigand, Will and Kuciauskas, Darius and Li, Siming and Bothwell, Alexandra and Guo, Jinglong and others},
title = {Electro-Optical Characterization of Arsenic-Doped CdSeTe and CdTe Solar Cell Absorbers Doped in-situ During Close Space Sublimation},
annote = {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.},
doi = {10.1016/j.solmat.2022.112110},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1907627},
journal = {Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells},
volume = {251},
place = {United States},
year = {2022},
month = {11}}
Huss, Alexandra M.; Drayton, Jennifer A.; Sites, James R.
2018 IEEE 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC) (A Joint Conference of 45th IEEE PVSC, 28th PVSEC & 34th EU PVSEC)https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547489
Munshi, Amit H.; Danielson, Adam H.; Barth, Kurt L.
2018 IEEE 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC) (A Joint Conference of 45th IEEE PVSC, 28th PVSEC & 34th EU PVSEC)https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8548272