CdTe synthesis and crystal growth using the high-pressure Bridgman technique

Al-Hamdi, Tawfeeq K.; McPherson, Seth W.; Swain, Santosh K.; Jennings, Joshah; Duenow, Joel N.; Zheng, Xin; Albin, David S.; Tuerxunjiang, Abulikemu; Colegrove, Eric M.; Amarasinghe, Mahisha; Ferguson, Andrew J.; Metzger, Wyatt K.; Szeles, Csaba; Lynn, Kelvin G.

doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2019.125466

Title: CdTe synthesis and crystal growth using the high-pressure Bridgman technique

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Abstract

Efficient, safe and cost-effective synthesis of CdTe from elements is rather challenging in silica sealed ampoules due to the high vapor pressure of Cd. In this article, we report on the integrated synthesis and crystal growth of high-purity CdTe using the high pressure Bridgman (HPB) technique that is scalable to large volumes. The process lends itself for cost competitive industrial production of polycrystalline feedstock material for photovoltaics, sensors and electro-optic applications. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) crystals exceeding 1 kg in size were synthesized from elemental Cd and Te sources with purity comparable to state-of-the-art gamma ray detector crystals. In addition, synthesis of highly-doped CdTe feedstock for thin film photovoltaics applications demonstrating effective incorporation of group V (As, Sb) dopants was achieved at growth speeds of ~500 mm/hr. The technique may be applicable to produce other II-VI compounds with volatile components.

Authors:

Al-Hamdi, Tawfeeq K. ^[1]; McPherson, Seth W. ^[2]; Swain, Santosh K. ^[2]; Jennings, Joshah ^[2]; Duenow, Joel N. ^[3]; Zheng, Xin ^[3]; Albin, David S. ^[3];

^[3];

^[3]; Amarasinghe, Mahisha ^[3];

^[3]; Metzger, Wyatt K. ^[3]; Szeles, Csaba ^[4]; Lynn, Kelvin G. ^[2]

Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); ; Mustansiriya Univ. Baghdad (Iraq)
Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Nious Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

Publication Date:: Thu Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2020

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1596252

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1593468; OSTI ID: 1644030; OSTI ID: 1829320

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5K00-75774
Journal ID: ISSN 0022-0248

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; EE0007537

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Crystal Growth

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 534; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-0248

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; doping; solubility; growth from melt; single crystal growth; cadmium compounds; semiconducting materials; solar cells; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Doping, Solubility, Growth from melt, Single crystal growth, Cadmium compounds, Semiconducting materials, Solar cells, CdTe

Citation Formats


                    Al-Hamdi, Tawfeeq K., McPherson, Seth W., Swain, Santosh K., Jennings, Joshah, Duenow, Joel N., Zheng, Xin, Albin, David S., Tuerxunjiang, Abulikemu, Colegrove, Eric M., Amarasinghe, Mahisha, Ferguson, Andrew J., Metzger, Wyatt K., Szeles, Csaba, and Lynn, Kelvin G. CdTe synthesis and crystal growth using the high-pressure Bridgman technique.  United States: N. p., 2020. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2019.125466.

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                    Al-Hamdi, Tawfeeq K., McPherson, Seth W., Swain, Santosh K., Jennings, Joshah, Duenow, Joel N., Zheng, Xin, Albin, David S., Tuerxunjiang, Abulikemu, Colegrove, Eric M., Amarasinghe, Mahisha, Ferguson, Andrew J., Metzger, Wyatt K., Szeles, Csaba, & Lynn, Kelvin G. CdTe synthesis and crystal growth using the high-pressure Bridgman technique.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2019.125466

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                    Al-Hamdi, Tawfeeq K., McPherson, Seth W., Swain, Santosh K., Jennings, Joshah, Duenow, Joel N., Zheng, Xin, Albin, David S., Tuerxunjiang, Abulikemu, Colegrove, Eric M., Amarasinghe, Mahisha, Ferguson, Andrew J., Metzger, Wyatt K., Szeles, Csaba, and Lynn, Kelvin G. Thu .  
"CdTe synthesis and crystal growth using the high-pressure Bridgman technique".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2019.125466.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1596252.

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@article{osti_1596252,

  title        = {CdTe synthesis and crystal growth using the high-pressure Bridgman technique},

  author       = {Al-Hamdi, Tawfeeq K. and McPherson, Seth W. and Swain, Santosh K. and Jennings, Joshah and Duenow, Joel N. and Zheng, Xin and Albin, David S. and Tuerxunjiang, Abulikemu and Colegrove, Eric M. and Amarasinghe, Mahisha and Ferguson, Andrew J. and Metzger, Wyatt K. and Szeles, Csaba and Lynn, Kelvin G.},

  abstractNote = {Efficient, safe and cost-effective synthesis of CdTe from elements is rather challenging in silica sealed ampoules due to the high vapor pressure of Cd. In this article, we report on the integrated synthesis and crystal growth of high-purity CdTe using the high pressure Bridgman (HPB) technique that is scalable to large volumes. The process lends itself for cost competitive industrial production of polycrystalline feedstock material for photovoltaics, sensors and electro-optic applications. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) crystals exceeding 1 kg in size were synthesized from elemental Cd and Te sources with purity comparable to state-of-the-art gamma ray detector crystals. In addition, synthesis of highly-doped CdTe feedstock for thin film photovoltaics applications demonstrating effective incorporation of group V (As, Sb) dopants was achieved at growth speeds of ~500 mm/hr. The technique may be applicable to produce other II-VI compounds with volatile components.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2019.125466},

  journal      = {Journal of Crystal Growth},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 534,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Thu Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2020},

  month        = {Thu Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2020}

}

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