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Title: The impact of Cu on recombination in high voltage CdTe solar cells

Abstract

Using photoluminescence spectroscopy, we construct a recombination model for state-of-the-art CdTe solar cells doped with Cu. Here, we observe that Cu on Cd sites form a dominant acceptor state about 150 meV from the valence band. Although it is intuitive that this state can increase hole density, we also find that this relatively shallow dopant can also limit lifetime. Consequently, CdTe solar cells doped with Cu could have a lifetime limitation inversely proportional to the hole concentration.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. First Solar Inc., Perrysburg, OH (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); NREL-First Solar Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)
OSTI Identifier:
1236151
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1234057
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-65705
Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951; APPLAB
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308; AC36-08-GO28308
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 107; Journal Issue: 24; Related Information: Applied Physics Letters; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; III-VI semiconductors; photoluminescence; doping; electron densities of states; solar cells; emission spectroscopy; semiconductors; electronic transport; electronic bandstructure; polycrystalline material; excitons; time-resolved photoluminescence; phonons; photoluminescence spectroscopy

Citation Formats

Kuciauskas, Darius, Dippo, Pat, Kanevce, Ana, Zhao, Zhibo, Cheng, Long, Los, Andrei, Gloeckler, Markus, and Metzger, Wyatt K. The impact of Cu on recombination in high voltage CdTe solar cells. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4938127.
Kuciauskas, Darius, Dippo, Pat, Kanevce, Ana, Zhao, Zhibo, Cheng, Long, Los, Andrei, Gloeckler, Markus, & Metzger, Wyatt K. The impact of Cu on recombination in high voltage CdTe solar cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4938127
Kuciauskas, Darius, Dippo, Pat, Kanevce, Ana, Zhao, Zhibo, Cheng, Long, Los, Andrei, Gloeckler, Markus, and Metzger, Wyatt K. Mon . "The impact of Cu on recombination in high voltage CdTe solar cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4938127. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1236151.
@article{osti_1236151,
title = {The impact of Cu on recombination in high voltage CdTe solar cells},
author = {Kuciauskas, Darius and Dippo, Pat and Kanevce, Ana and Zhao, Zhibo and Cheng, Long and Los, Andrei and Gloeckler, Markus and Metzger, Wyatt K.},
abstractNote = {Using photoluminescence spectroscopy, we construct a recombination model for state-of-the-art CdTe solar cells doped with Cu. Here, we observe that Cu on Cd sites form a dominant acceptor state about 150 meV from the valence band. Although it is intuitive that this state can increase hole density, we also find that this relatively shallow dopant can also limit lifetime. Consequently, CdTe solar cells doped with Cu could have a lifetime limitation inversely proportional to the hole concentration.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4938127},
journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
number = 24,
volume = 107,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 14 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Mon Dec 14 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}

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Cited by: 27 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Exceeding 20% efficiency with in situ group V doping in polycrystalline CdTe solar cells
journal, August 2019


Point defect engineering in thin-film solar cells
journal, June 2018


Carrier density and lifetime for different dopants in single-crystal and polycrystalline CdTe
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