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Title: Sputter-Deposited Oxides for Interface Passivation of CdTe Photovoltaics

Abstract

Commercial CdTe PV modules have polycrystalline thin films deposited on glass, and devices made in this format have exceeded 22% efficiency. Devices made by the authors with a magnesium zinc oxide window layer and tellurium back contact have achieved efficiency over 18%, but these cells still suffer from an open-circuit voltage far below ideal values. Oxide passivation layers made by sputter deposition have the potential to increase voltage by reducing interface recombination. CdTe devices with these passivation layers were studied with photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) to detect an increase in minority carrier lifetime. Because these oxide materials exhibit barriers to carrier collection, micropatterning was used to expose small point contacts while still allowing interface passivation. TRPL decay lifetimes have been greatly enhanced for thin polycrystalline absorber films with interface passivation. Device performance was measured and current collection was mapped spatially by light-beam-induced current.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [1]
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  1. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)
  2. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), 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:
1422874
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-70431
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; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; passivation; II-VI semiconductor materials; cadmium compounds; aluminum oxide; sputtering; photovoltaic systems

Citation Formats

Kephart, Jason M., Kindvall, Anna, Williams, Desiree, Kuciauskas, Darius, Dippo, Pat, Munshi, Amit, and Sampath, W. S. Sputter-Deposited Oxides for Interface Passivation of CdTe Photovoltaics. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2787021.
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Kephart, Jason M., Kindvall, Anna, Williams, Desiree, Kuciauskas, Darius, Dippo, Pat, Munshi, Amit, & Sampath, W. S. Sputter-Deposited Oxides for Interface Passivation of CdTe Photovoltaics. United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2787021
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Kephart, Jason M., Kindvall, Anna, Williams, Desiree, Kuciauskas, Darius, Dippo, Pat, Munshi, Amit, and Sampath, W. S. Thu . "Sputter-Deposited Oxides for Interface Passivation of CdTe Photovoltaics". United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2787021. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1422874.
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@article{osti_1422874,
title = {Sputter-Deposited Oxides for Interface Passivation of CdTe Photovoltaics},
author = {Kephart, Jason M. and Kindvall, Anna and Williams, Desiree and Kuciauskas, Darius and Dippo, Pat and Munshi, Amit and Sampath, W. S.},
abstractNote = {Commercial CdTe PV modules have polycrystalline thin films deposited on glass, and devices made in this format have exceeded 22% efficiency. Devices made by the authors with a magnesium zinc oxide window layer and tellurium back contact have achieved efficiency over 18%, but these cells still suffer from an open-circuit voltage far below ideal values. Oxide passivation layers made by sputter deposition have the potential to increase voltage by reducing interface recombination. CdTe devices with these passivation layers were studied with photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) to detect an increase in minority carrier lifetime. Because these oxide materials exhibit barriers to carrier collection, micropatterning was used to expose small point contacts while still allowing interface passivation. TRPL decay lifetimes have been greatly enhanced for thin polycrystalline absorber films with interface passivation. Device performance was measured and current collection was mapped spatially by light-beam-induced current.},
doi = {10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2787021},
journal = {IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics},
number = 2,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 18 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Thu Jan 18 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}
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Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2787021
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Cited by: 63 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Low-temperature photoluminescence indicates no alloy broadening in CdTe for an MZO/CdTe device. This is evident from the exciton emission peak at 1.59 eV. Lower energy bands are related to defects.
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Radiative Efficiency and Charge‐Carrier Lifetimes and Diffusion Length in Polycrystalline CdSeTe Heterostructures
journal, December 2019

  • Kuciauskas, Darius; Moseley, John; Ščajev, Patrik
  • physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters, Vol. 14, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1002/pssr.201900606

Understanding the role of selenium in defect passivation for highly efficient selenium-alloyed cadmium telluride solar cells
journal, May 2019

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
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.5063799

Enhancement of photovoltaic efficiency in CdSe x Te 1− x (where 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1): insights from density functional theory
journal, December 2019

  • Watts, Michael J.; Fiducia, Thomas A. M.; Sanyal, Biplab
  • Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Vol. 32, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ab5bba

Study on the Stability of Unpackaged CdS/CdTe Solar Cells with Different Structures
journal, December 2019

  • Zeng, Guanggen; Liu, Xiaolan; Zhao, Yubo
  • International Journal of Photoenergy, Vol. 2019
  • DOI: 10.1155/2019/3579587

Radiative Efficiency and Charge‐Carrier Lifetimes and Diffusion Length in Polycrystalline CdSeTe Heterostructures
journal, January 2020

  • Kuciauskas, Darius; Moseley, John; Ščajev, Patrik
  • physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters, Vol. 14, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1002/pssr.202070016
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