Structural and compositional dependence of the CdTexSe1-x alloy layer photoactivity in CdTe-based solar cells
Abstract
The published external quantum efficiency data of the world-record CdTe solar cell suggests that the device uses bandgap engineering, most likely with a CdTexSe1₋x alloy layer to increase the short-circuit current and overall device efficiency. Here atom probe tomography, transmission electron microscopy and electron beam-induced current are used to clarify the dependence of Se content on the photoactive properties of CdTexSe1₋x alloy layers in bandgap-graded CdTe solar cells. Four solar cells were prepared with 50, 100, 200 and 400 nm-thick CdSe layers to reveal the formation, growth, composition, structure and photoactivity of the CdTexSe1₋x alloy with respect to the degree of Se diffusion. Finally, the results show that the CdTexSe1₋x layer photoactivity is highly dependent on the crystalline structure of the alloy (zincblende versus wurtzite), which is also dependent on the Se and Te concentrations.
- Authors:
-
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS)
- Univ. of Toledo, OH (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
- Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1295109
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725; FOA-0000492
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY
Citation Formats
Poplawsky, Jonathan D., Guo, Wei, Paudel, Naba, Ng, Amy, More, Karren, Leonard, Donovan, and Yan, Yanfa. Structural and compositional dependence of the CdTexSe1-x alloy layer photoactivity in CdTe-based solar cells. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1038/ncomms12537.
Poplawsky, Jonathan D., Guo, Wei, Paudel, Naba, Ng, Amy, More, Karren, Leonard, Donovan, & Yan, Yanfa. Structural and compositional dependence of the CdTexSe1-x alloy layer photoactivity in CdTe-based solar cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12537
Poplawsky, Jonathan D., Guo, Wei, Paudel, Naba, Ng, Amy, More, Karren, Leonard, Donovan, and Yan, Yanfa. Wed .
"Structural and compositional dependence of the CdTexSe1-x alloy layer photoactivity in CdTe-based solar cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12537. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1295109.
@article{osti_1295109,
title = {Structural and compositional dependence of the CdTexSe1-x alloy layer photoactivity in CdTe-based solar cells},
author = {Poplawsky, Jonathan D. and Guo, Wei and Paudel, Naba and Ng, Amy and More, Karren and Leonard, Donovan and Yan, Yanfa},
abstractNote = {The published external quantum efficiency data of the world-record CdTe solar cell suggests that the device uses bandgap engineering, most likely with a CdTexSe1₋x alloy layer to increase the short-circuit current and overall device efficiency. Here atom probe tomography, transmission electron microscopy and electron beam-induced current are used to clarify the dependence of Se content on the photoactive properties of CdTexSe1₋x alloy layers in bandgap-graded CdTe solar cells. Four solar cells were prepared with 50, 100, 200 and 400 nm-thick CdSe layers to reveal the formation, growth, composition, structure and photoactivity of the CdTexSe1₋x alloy with respect to the degree of Se diffusion. Finally, the results show that the CdTexSe1₋x layer photoactivity is highly dependent on the crystalline structure of the alloy (zincblende versus wurtzite), which is also dependent on the Se and Te concentrations.},
doi = {10.1038/ncomms12537},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = ,
volume = 7,
place = {United States},
year = {2016},
month = {7}
}
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