Back Contact Effects on the Electro-Optical Properties of CdTe/CdS Solar Cells
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO
Studies of junction photoluminescence (PL) in CdTe/CdS solar cells reveal that back-contact application produces a dramatic qualitative change in the junction picosecond-PL spectrum. Prior to contact application, the spectrum has two peaks at energies of 1.501 eV and 1.457 eV, corresponding to recombination in regions of CdTeS alloy with 2% and 12% sulfur content, respectively. After contact application, the spectrum consists of a single broad peak at 1.48 eV. Previous studies have shown that the nitric-phosphoric (NP) etch used in the contact procedure produces a layer of elemental tellurium (Te) on the CdTe surface. We postulate that the change in the near-junction PL spectrum is caused by a grain-boundary field effect due to perturbations of the grain-boundary conductivity and Fermi level.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-99GO10337
- OSTI ID:
- 6639
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/CP-520-25684; ON: DE00006639
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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