Study of ZnTe:Cu back contacts on CdTe/CdS thin film solar cells

Book · Tue Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:417697

Tang, J; Feng, L; Mao, D; Song, W; Zhu, Y; Trefny, J U ^[1]

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1. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Physics

Vacuum-evaporated Cu-doped ZnTe films have been studied as the intermediate layer between CdTe and metal contacts in CdTe/CdS thin-film solar cells for the formation of low resistance back contacts. Different metals (Au, Ni, Co) have been investigated as the contact material to the ZnTe layer. The effects of Cu concentration, ZnTe:Cu layer thickness, and ZnTe post-deposition annealing temperature on the cell performances have been investigated. The authors found that different metal contacts on the ZnTe layer lead to different doping densities in the CdTe layer and different open-circuit photovoltages of the solar cells. The possible formation of a back contact diode at the CdTe/ZnTe interface was explored, based on capacitance-voltage analysis. The series resistance of the CdTe/CdS cells was reduced significantly by the introduction of the ZnTe layer. Fill factors greater than 0.76 and an energy conversion efficiency of 12.9% have been achieved using ZnTe back contacts on electrodeposited CdTe.

• Sponsoring Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
• OSTI ID: 417697
• Report Number(s): CONF-960401-; ISBN 1-55899-329-0; TRN: IM9705%%70
• Resource Relation: Conference: Spring meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS), San Francisco, CA (United States), 8-12 Apr 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Thin films for photovoltaic and related device applications; Ginley, D. [ed.] [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)]; Catalano, A. [ed.] [Technology Assessment Group, Boulder, CO (United States)]; Schock, H.W. [ed.] [Univ. Stuttgart (Germany)]; Eberspacher, C. [ed.] [Unisun, Newbury Park, CA (United States)]; Peterson, T.M. [ed.] [Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)]; Wada, Takahiro [ed.] [Matsushita Electric Industries Co., Ltd., Kyoto (Japan)]; PB: 621 p.; Materials Research Society symposium proceedings, Volume 426
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
PERFORMANCE
ZINC TELLURIDES
VACUUM EVAPORATION
COPPER
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
GOLD
NICKEL
COBALT
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ELECTRON MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
ANNEALING
ILLUMINANCE
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
FILL FACTORS
CAPACITANCE
CURRENT DENSITY
EFFICIENCY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA