Influence of CdTe Deposition Temperature and Window Thickness on CdTe Grain Size and Lifetime After CdCl2 Recrystallization
Abstract
Grain structure influences both transport and recombination in CdTe solar cells. Larger grains generally are obtained with higher deposition temperatures, but commercially it is important to avoid softening soda-lime glass. Furthermore, depositing at lower temperatures can enable different substrates and reduced cost in the future. We examine how initial deposition temperatures and morphology influence grain size and lifetime after CdCl2 recrystallization. Techniques are developed to estimate grain distribution quickly with low-cost optical microscopy, which compares well with electron backscatter diffraction data providing corroborative assessments of exposed CdTe grain structures. Average grain size increases as a function of CdCl2 temperature. For lower temperature close-spaced sublimation CdTe depositions, there can be more stress and grain segregation during recrystallization. However, the resulting lifetimes and grain sizes are similar to high-temperature CdTe depositions. The grain structures and lifetimes are largely independent of the presence and/or interdiffusion of Se at the interface, before and after the CdCl2 treatment.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[2];
- Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (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), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1422693
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5K00-68664
Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 8; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381
- Publisher:
- IEEE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; cadmium telluride; charge carrier lifetime; grain boundaries; grain size; photovoltaic cells; semiconductor devices; thin film devices
Citation Formats
Amarasinghe, Mahisha, Colegrove, Eric, Moutinho, Helio, Albin, David, Duenow, Joel, Johnston, Steve, Kephart, Jason, Sampath, Walajabad, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, Sivananthan, Siva, and Metzger, Wyatt K. Influence of CdTe Deposition Temperature and Window Thickness on CdTe Grain Size and Lifetime After CdCl2 Recrystallization. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2790701.
Amarasinghe, Mahisha, Colegrove, Eric, Moutinho, Helio, Albin, David, Duenow, Joel, Johnston, Steve, Kephart, Jason, Sampath, Walajabad, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, Sivananthan, Siva, & Metzger, Wyatt K. Influence of CdTe Deposition Temperature and Window Thickness on CdTe Grain Size and Lifetime After CdCl2 Recrystallization. United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2790701
Amarasinghe, Mahisha, Colegrove, Eric, Moutinho, Helio, Albin, David, Duenow, Joel, Johnston, Steve, Kephart, Jason, Sampath, Walajabad, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, Sivananthan, Siva, and Metzger, Wyatt K. Tue .
"Influence of CdTe Deposition Temperature and Window Thickness on CdTe Grain Size and Lifetime After CdCl2 Recrystallization". United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2790701. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1422693.
@article{osti_1422693,
title = {Influence of CdTe Deposition Temperature and Window Thickness on CdTe Grain Size and Lifetime After CdCl2 Recrystallization},
author = {Amarasinghe, Mahisha and Colegrove, Eric and Moutinho, Helio and Albin, David and Duenow, Joel and Johnston, Steve and Kephart, Jason and Sampath, Walajabad and Al-Jassim, Mowafak and Sivananthan, Siva and Metzger, Wyatt K.},
abstractNote = {Grain structure influences both transport and recombination in CdTe solar cells. Larger grains generally are obtained with higher deposition temperatures, but commercially it is important to avoid softening soda-lime glass. Furthermore, depositing at lower temperatures can enable different substrates and reduced cost in the future. We examine how initial deposition temperatures and morphology influence grain size and lifetime after CdCl2 recrystallization. Techniques are developed to estimate grain distribution quickly with low-cost optical microscopy, which compares well with electron backscatter diffraction data providing corroborative assessments of exposed CdTe grain structures. Average grain size increases as a function of CdCl2 temperature. For lower temperature close-spaced sublimation CdTe depositions, there can be more stress and grain segregation during recrystallization. However, the resulting lifetimes and grain sizes are similar to high-temperature CdTe depositions. The grain structures and lifetimes are largely independent of the presence and/or interdiffusion of Se at the interface, before and after the CdCl2 treatment.},
doi = {10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2790701},
journal = {IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics},
number = 2,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {1}
}
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Figures / Tables:
Fig. 1: Optical microscopy images of (left to right) as-deposited, 425°C and 475°C CdCl2 temperatures taken by illuminating the back surface of CdTe for (top to bottom) 75-, 150-, and 300-nm CdSe thicknesses.
Works referencing / citing this record:
Back-surface recombination, electron reflectors, and paths to 28% efficiency for thin-film photovoltaics: A CdTe case study
journal, February 2019
- Duenow, Joel N.; Metzger, Wyatt K.
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 125, Issue 5
Figures / Tables found in this record: