Photoluminescence of Cu-doped CdTe and related stability issues in CdS/CdTe solar cells

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2000 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1287414· OSTI ID:20217430

Grecu, D ^[1]; Compaan, A D ^[1]; Young, D ^[2]; Jayamaha, U ^[3]; Rose, D H ^[3]

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1. University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606-3390 (United States)
2. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)
3. First Solar LLC., Perrysburg, Ohio 43551 (United States)

We explore Cu electronic states in CdTe using photoluminescence as the main investigative method. Our results are consistent with some Cu atoms occupying substitutional positions on the Cd sublattice and with others forming Frenkel pairs of the type Cu{sub i}{sup +}-V{sub Cd}{sup -} involving an interstitial Cu and a Cd vacancy. In addition, we find that Cu-doped CdTe samples exhibit a significant ''aging'' behavior, attributable to the instability of Cu acceptor states as verified by our Hall measurements. The aging appears to be reversible by a 150-200 degree sign C anneal. Our results are used to explain efficiency degradation of some CdTe solar-cell devices which use Cu for the formation of a backcontact. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

• OSTI ID: 20217430
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 88, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: 1 Sep 2000; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
CADMIUM TELLURIDE SOLAR CELLS
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
COPPER ADDITIONS
DOPED MATERIALS
INSTABILITY
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
AGING
EXPERIMENTAL DATA