Preparation and properties of evaporated CdTe films compared with single-crystal CdTe. Progress report No. 7, May 1-July 31, 1982
The goal of our research is to develop efficient thin-film solar cells involving CdTe as the absorbing material using the method of hot-wall vacuum evaporation (HWVE) for CdTe film deposition. We have developed the HWVE method and applied it to the deposition of n-type CdTe films doped with In, and have explored some of the problems of low resistance back contacts to these films and the fabrication of homojunctions using these films on single crystal p-type CdTe substrates. In order to compare the electrical properties of n-type CdTe films grown on an amorphous substrate with films grown on a single crystal substrate, films have been deposited simultaneously on BaF/sub 2/ and 7059 glass. Corollary investigations have explored the dependence of film properties on the substrate temperature during deposition, and the dependence of electron density in the films with the indium source temperature during deposition. A quantitative computer model for grain boundary transport in polycrystalline materials has been formulated to aid in the analysis of these materials. A variety of back contact materials and configurations have been tested for low resistance contacts to the n-type CdTe:In layers. Two CdTe homojunction configurations were analyzed in which n-CdTe films were deposited by HWVE on p-type single crystal substrates. In the first an n-type film of 1.5 ..mu..m thickness was deposited, which is much too thick for high current collection, and in the second an n-type film of about 0.3 ..mu..m thickness was deposited. Subsequently this second type of cell was overlayered with ZnO and ITO layers to provide transparent conducting coatings over a relatively large area. Research on the properties of grain boundaries in n-type and p-type CdTe bicrystals focussed on the effects of various passivation techniques.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford Univ., CA (USA). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-77CH00178
- OSTI ID:
- 6742718
- Report Number(s):
- SERI/PR-9330-1-T7; ON: DE82022183
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Developing CdTe homojunctions applying high throughput deposition
Preparation and properties of evaporated CdTe films compared with single-crystal CdTe. Progress report No. 8, August 1-October 31, 1982
Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CADMIUM TELLURIDES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
PASSIVATION
VACUUM EVAPORATION
BARIUM FLUORIDES
COMPUTER CODES
CRYSTAL DOPING
CURRENT DENSITY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FILMS
GLASS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
HOMOJUNCTIONS
INDIUM
N-TYPE CONDUCTORS
P-TYPE CONDUCTORS
POLYCRYSTALS
QUANTUM EFFICIENCY
RECOMBINATION
SPECTRAL RESPONSE
SUBSTRATES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DATA
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTS
EVAPORATION
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
JUNCTIONS
MATERIALS
METALS
MICROSTRUCTURE
NUMERICAL DATA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
TELLURIDES
TELLURIUM COMPOUNDS
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture