Nanometer-scale electrical potential imaging on absorber of CdSeTe solar cells

Jiang, Chun-Sheng; Colegrove, Eric; Harvey, Steven P.; Duenow, Joel N.; Sartor, Ed; Reese, Matthew O.

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2023.112465

Nanometer-scale electrical potential imaging on absorber of CdSeTe solar cells

Journal Article · Thu Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2023.112465· OSTI ID:1993811

Jiang, Chun-Sheng ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[2]; Reese, Matthew O. ^[1]

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); New York Univ. (NYU), NY (United States)

Here, we report on nm-scale electrical potential imaging throughout As-doped and Cu-doped CdSeTe absorbers using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). The potential imaging was conducted both laterally and vertically on beveled films using ion milling at small glancing angle. KPFM images electrical potential on the beveled surface and assesses defect charging in the subsurface region within a screening length from the beveled surface. We found that the grain boundaries were positively charged and that there were significant potential fluctuations in both grain boundary versus grain interior and intragrain. We further found that these potential fluctuations decreased significantly toward the front interface. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging shows that Se content increased toward the front interface, consistent with Se passivation of defects. The potential fluctuation was induced by defect charging, and the results elucidate different details of the defect configurations and grain structures of the films with different CdCl₂ treatment temperatures in the As-doped CdSeTe. The defect configurations in the region near the front interface can be a main factor contributing to the device performance difference. Our potential imaging provides insights about the defects throughout the absorber films, and shows that the potential fluctuation has a direct correlation to the V_oc deficit.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

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

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1993811

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1992405

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA--5K00-86069; MainId:86842; UUID:161823aa-108a-49a2-9dd8-149f418d2f93; MainAdminID:70128

Journal Information:: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Journal Name: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells Vol. 260; ISSN 0927-0248

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (17)

Solar cell efficiency tables (Version 61) Green, Martin A.; Dunlop, Ewan D.; Siefer, Gerald Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, Vol. 31, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.3646	journal	November 2022
Imaging hole-density inhomogeneity in arsenic-doped CdTe thin films by scanning capacitance microscopy Jiang, C. -S.; Moseley, J.; Xiao, C. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 209 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2020.110468	journal	June 2020
Electrical potential investigation of reversible metastability and irreversible degradation of CdTe solar cells Jiang, C. -S.; Albin, D.; Nardone, M. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 238 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2022.111610	journal	May 2022
Investigating the role of copper in arsenic doped Cd(Se,Te) photovoltaics Colegrove, Eric; Good, Brian; Abbas, Ali Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 246 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2022.111886	journal	October 2022
Understanding the Copassivation Effect of Cl and Se for CdTe Grain Boundaries Shah, Akash; Nicholson, Anthony P.; Fiducia, Thomas A. M. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol. 13, Issue 29 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c06587	journal	July 2021
Understanding the role of selenium in defect passivation for highly efficient selenium-alloyed cadmium telluride solar cells Fiducia, Thomas A. M.; Mendis, Budhika G.; Li, Kexue Nature Energy, Vol. 4, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-019-0389-z	journal	May 2019
Exceeding 20% efficiency with in situ group V doping in polycrystalline CdTe solar cells Metzger, W. K.; Grover, S.; Lu, D. Nature Energy, Vol. 4, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-019-0446-7	journal	August 2019
Kelvin probe force microscopy Nonnenmacher, M.; O’Boyle, M. P.; Wickramasinghe, H. K. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 58, Issue 25 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.105227	journal	June 1991
Silicon pn junction imaging and characterizations using sensitivity enhanced Kelvin probe force microscopy Kikukawa, Atsushi; Hosaka, Sumio; Imura, Ryo Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 66, Issue 25 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.113780	journal	June 1995
Measurement of built-in electrical potential in III–V solar cells by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy Jiang, Chun-Sheng; Moutinho, H. R.; Friedman, D. J. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 93, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1573736	journal	June 2003
Radiative efficiency limits of solar cells with lateral band-gap fluctuations Rau, U.; Werner, J. H. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 84, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1737071	journal	May 2004
Local built-in potential on grain boundary of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films Jiang, C. -S.; Noufi, R.; AbuShama, J. A. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 84, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1737796	journal	May 2004
Nanometer-scale surface potential and resistance mapping of wide-bandgap Cu(In,Ga)Se ₂ thin films Jiang, C. -S.; Contreras, M. A.; Mansfield, L. M. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4907165	journal	January 2015
Intrinsic surface passivation of CdTe Reese, M. O.; Perkins, C. L.; Burst, J. M. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 118, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4933186	journal	October 2015
Passivation mechanism in CdTe solar cells: The hybrid role of Se Selvaraj, Selva Chandrasekaran; Gupta, Sameer; Caliste, Damien Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 119, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0058290	journal	August 2021
Interface Characterization of Single-Crystal CdTe Solar Cells With VOC > 950 mV Burst, James M.; Duenow, Joel N.; Kanevce, Ana IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol. 6, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2598274	journal	November 2016
As-Doped CdSeTe Solar Cells Achieving 22% Efficiency With −0.23%/°C Temperature Coefficient Metzger, Wyatt K.; Miller, D. Wes; Mallick, Rajni IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol. 12, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2022.3201479	journal	November 2022

Similar Records

Recent Progress in Nanoelectrical Characterizations of CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)Se2

Conference · Sun Nov 20 23:00:00 EST 2016 · Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference · OSTI ID:1343672

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
CdTe solar cell
Kelvin probe force microscopy
Se-Te alloy
defect passivation
electrical potential
nm-scale characterization

Nanometer-scale electrical potential imaging on absorber of CdSeTe solar cells

Citation Formats

References (17)

Similar Records

Related Subjects