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Title: Luminescence methodology to determine grain-boundary, grain-interior, and surface recombination in thin-film solar cells

Abstract

We determine the grain-boundary (GB) recombination velocity, SGB, and grain-interior (GI) lifetime, tGI, parameters in superstrate CdS/CdTe thin-film solar cell technology by combining cathodoluminescence (CL) spectrum imaging and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurements. We consider critical device formation stages, including after CdTe deposition, CdCl2 treatment, and Cu diffusion. CL image analysis methods extract GB and GI intensities and grain size for hundreds of grains per sample. Concurrently, a three-dimensional CL model is developed to simulate the GI intensity as a function of tGI, SGB, grain size, and the surface recombination velocity, Ssurf. TRPL measurements provide an estimate of Ssurf for the CL model. A fit of GI intensity vs. grain size data with the CL model gives a self-consistent and representative set of SGB and tGI values for the samples: SGB (tGI) = 2.6 x 106 cm/s (68-250 ps), SGB(tGI) = 4.1 x 105 cm/s (1.5-3.3 ns), and SGB (tGI) = 5.5 x 105 cm/s (1.0-3.8 ns) for as-deposited, CdCl2-treated, and CdCl2- A nd Cu-treated samples, respectively. Thus, we find that the CdCl2 treatment both helps to passivate GBs and significantly increase the GI lifetime. Subsequent Cu diffusion increases GB recombination slightly and has nuanced effects on the GI lifetime. Finally,more » as a partial check on the SGB and tGI values, they are input to a Sentaurus device model, and the simulated performance is compared to the measured performance. The methodology developed here can be applied broadly to CdTe and CdSeTe thin-film technology and to other thin-film solar cell materials including Cu(In1-xGax)Se2, Cu2ZnSnS4, and perovskites.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, CNRS, University Paris-Sud/Paris-Saclay, 91460 Marcoussis, France
  3. Univ. of Paris-Sud, Orsay (France)
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:
1477833
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1471258
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5K00-71546
Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308; 30297; 30300
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 124; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; thin films; luminescence; solar cells; semiconductors; scanning electron microscopy; crystallographic defects; electrical properties and parameters

Citation Formats

Moseley, John, Rale, Pierre, Collin, Stéphane, Colegrove, Eric, Guthrey, Harvey, Kuciauskas, Darius, Moutinho, Helio, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, and Metzger, Wyatt K. Luminescence methodology to determine grain-boundary, grain-interior, and surface recombination in thin-film solar cells. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5042532.
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Moseley, John, Rale, Pierre, Collin, Stéphane, Colegrove, Eric, Guthrey, Harvey, Kuciauskas, Darius, Moutinho, Helio, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, & Metzger, Wyatt K. Luminescence methodology to determine grain-boundary, grain-interior, and surface recombination in thin-film solar cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5042532
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Moseley, John, Rale, Pierre, Collin, Stéphane, Colegrove, Eric, Guthrey, Harvey, Kuciauskas, Darius, Moutinho, Helio, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, and Metzger, Wyatt K. Tue . "Luminescence methodology to determine grain-boundary, grain-interior, and surface recombination in thin-film solar cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5042532. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1477833.
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@article{osti_1477833,
title = {Luminescence methodology to determine grain-boundary, grain-interior, and surface recombination in thin-film solar cells},
author = {Moseley, John and Rale, Pierre and Collin, Stéphane and Colegrove, Eric and Guthrey, Harvey and Kuciauskas, Darius and Moutinho, Helio and Al-Jassim, Mowafak and Metzger, Wyatt K.},
abstractNote = {We determine the grain-boundary (GB) recombination velocity, SGB, and grain-interior (GI) lifetime, tGI, parameters in superstrate CdS/CdTe thin-film solar cell technology by combining cathodoluminescence (CL) spectrum imaging and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurements. We consider critical device formation stages, including after CdTe deposition, CdCl2 treatment, and Cu diffusion. CL image analysis methods extract GB and GI intensities and grain size for hundreds of grains per sample. Concurrently, a three-dimensional CL model is developed to simulate the GI intensity as a function of tGI, SGB, grain size, and the surface recombination velocity, Ssurf. TRPL measurements provide an estimate of Ssurf for the CL model. A fit of GI intensity vs. grain size data with the CL model gives a self-consistent and representative set of SGB and tGI values for the samples: SGB (tGI) = 2.6 x 106 cm/s (68-250 ps), SGB(tGI) = 4.1 x 105 cm/s (1.5-3.3 ns), and SGB (tGI) = 5.5 x 105 cm/s (1.0-3.8 ns) for as-deposited, CdCl2-treated, and CdCl2- A nd Cu-treated samples, respectively. Thus, we find that the CdCl2 treatment both helps to passivate GBs and significantly increase the GI lifetime. Subsequent Cu diffusion increases GB recombination slightly and has nuanced effects on the GI lifetime. Finally, as a partial check on the SGB and tGI values, they are input to a Sentaurus device model, and the simulated performance is compared to the measured performance. The methodology developed here can be applied broadly to CdTe and CdSeTe thin-film technology and to other thin-film solar cell materials including Cu(In1-xGax)Se2, Cu2ZnSnS4, and perovskites.},
doi = {10.1063/1.5042532},
journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
number = 11,
volume = 124,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 18 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Tue Sep 18 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5042532
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Cited by: 22 works
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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1 Fig. 1: Basic features of the 3D CL model. The e-beam is generating carriers in the center of a cylindrical grain. The grain “size” is defined by the diameter, $d$, and the film thickness is $t$. The grain interior (GI) has carrier lifetime, $\mathcal{τ}$GI; the grain boundary (GB) has recombinationmore » velocity, $S$GB; and the surface has recombination velocity, $S$surf.« less
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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

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

    Recombination and bandgap engineering in CdSeTe/CdTe solar cells
    journal, July 2019

    • Zheng, X.; Kuciauskas, D.; Moseley, J.
    • APL Materials, Vol. 7, Issue 7
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5098459

    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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      Figures / Tables found in this record:

      Fig. 1 (p. 6)figure
      Fig. 2 (p. 9)figure
      Table I (p. 9)table
      Fig. 3 (p. 11)figure
      Fig. 4 (p. 12)figure
      Fig. 5 (p. 13)figure
      Fig. 6 (p. 15)figure
      Fig. 7 (p. 16)figure
      Fig. 8 (p. 17)figure
      Fig. 9 (p. 18)figure
      Table II (p. 18)table
      Fig. 10 (p. 19)figure
      Table III (p. 20)table
      Fig. A1 (p. 22)figure
      Fig. B1 (p. 23)figure
      Fig. B2 (p. 24)figure
      Fig. B3 (p. 25)figure
      Fig. C1 (p. 26)figure
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