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Title: Long carrier lifetimes in large-grain polycrystalline CdTe without CdCl2

Abstract

For decades, polycrystalline CdTe thin films for solar applications have been restricted to grain sizes of microns or less whereas other semiconductors such as silicon and perovskites have produced devices with grains ranging from less than a micron to more than 1 mm. Because the lifetimes in as-deposited polycrystalline CdTe films are typically limited to less than a few hundred picoseconds, a CdCl2 treatment is generally used to improve the lifetime; but this treatment may limit the achievable hole density by compensation. Here, we establish methods to produce CdTe films with grain sizes ranging from hundreds of nanometers to several hundred microns by close-spaced sublimation at industrial manufacturing growth rates. Two-photon excitation photoluminescence spectroscopy shows a positive correlation of lifetime with grain size. Large-grain, as-deposited CdTe exhibits lifetimes exceeding 10 ns without Cl, S, O, or Cu. In conclusion, this uncompensated material allows dopants such as P to achieve a hole density of 1016 cm-3, which is an order of magnitude higher than standard CdCl2-treated devices, without compromising the lifetime.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
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  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1266707
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1259369
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-66346
Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951; APPLAB
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 108; Journal Issue: 26; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; polycrystalline CdTe; TRPL; semiconductors; electronic transport; electron backscatter diffraction; perovskites; crystallographic defects; polycrystalline material; time-resolved photoluminescence; scanning electron microscopy; thin films; photoluminescence spectroscopy

Citation Formats

Jensen, Soren A., Burst, James M., Duenow, Joel N., Guthrey, Harvey L., Moseley, John, Moutinho, Helio R., Johnston, Steve W., Kanevce, Ana, Al-Jassim, Mowafak M., and Metzger, Wyatt K. Long carrier lifetimes in large-grain polycrystalline CdTe without CdCl2. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4954904.
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Jensen, Soren A., Burst, James M., Duenow, Joel N., Guthrey, Harvey L., Moseley, John, Moutinho, Helio R., Johnston, Steve W., Kanevce, Ana, Al-Jassim, Mowafak M., & Metzger, Wyatt K. Long carrier lifetimes in large-grain polycrystalline CdTe without CdCl2. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4954904
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Jensen, Soren A., Burst, James M., Duenow, Joel N., Guthrey, Harvey L., Moseley, John, Moutinho, Helio R., Johnston, Steve W., Kanevce, Ana, Al-Jassim, Mowafak M., and Metzger, Wyatt K. Mon . "Long carrier lifetimes in large-grain polycrystalline CdTe without CdCl2". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4954904. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1266707.
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@article{osti_1266707,
title = {Long carrier lifetimes in large-grain polycrystalline CdTe without CdCl2},
author = {Jensen, Soren A. and Burst, James M. and Duenow, Joel N. and Guthrey, Harvey L. and Moseley, John and Moutinho, Helio R. and Johnston, Steve W. and Kanevce, Ana and Al-Jassim, Mowafak M. and Metzger, Wyatt K.},
abstractNote = {For decades, polycrystalline CdTe thin films for solar applications have been restricted to grain sizes of microns or less whereas other semiconductors such as silicon and perovskites have produced devices with grains ranging from less than a micron to more than 1 mm. Because the lifetimes in as-deposited polycrystalline CdTe films are typically limited to less than a few hundred picoseconds, a CdCl2 treatment is generally used to improve the lifetime; but this treatment may limit the achievable hole density by compensation. Here, we establish methods to produce CdTe films with grain sizes ranging from hundreds of nanometers to several hundred microns by close-spaced sublimation at industrial manufacturing growth rates. Two-photon excitation photoluminescence spectroscopy shows a positive correlation of lifetime with grain size. Large-grain, as-deposited CdTe exhibits lifetimes exceeding 10 ns without Cl, S, O, or Cu. In conclusion, this uncompensated material allows dopants such as P to achieve a hole density of 1016 cm-3, which is an order of magnitude higher than standard CdCl2-treated devices, without compromising the lifetime.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4954904},
journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
number = 26,
volume = 108,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jun 27 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Jun 27 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4954904
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Works referenced in this record:

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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Obtaining Large Columnar CdTe Grains and Long Lifetime on Nanocrystalline CdSe, MgZnO, or CdS Layers
    journal, January 2018

    • Amarasinghe, Mahisha; Colegrove, Eric; Moseley, John
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    Overcoming Carrier Concentration Limits in Polycrystalline CdTe Thin Films with In Situ Doping
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    • McCandless, Brian E.; Buchanan, Wayne A.; Thompson, Christopher P.
    • Scientific Reports, Vol. 8, Issue 1
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    The roles of carrier concentration and interface, bulk, and grain-boundary recombination for 25% efficient CdTe solar cells
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    Grain boundary passivation by CdCl2 treatment in CdTe solar cells revealed by Kelvin probe force microscopy
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    Luminescence methodology to determine grain-boundary, grain-interior, and surface recombination in thin-film solar cells
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    • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 124, Issue 11
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5042532

    Overcoming Carrier Concentration Limits in Polycrystalline CdTe Thin Films with In Situ Doping
    journal, September 2018

    • McCandless, Brian E.; Buchanan, Wayne A.; Thompson, Christopher P.
    • Scientific Reports, Vol. 8, Issue 1
    • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32746-y
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