Buffer/absorber interface recombination reduction and improvement of back-contact barrier height in CdTe solar cells

Journal Article · Tue Jul 02 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Thin Solid Films

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2019.06.058· OSTI ID:1579310

Paul, Sanjoy  ^[1]; Swartz, Craig ^[1]; Sohal, Sandeep  ^[1]; Grice, Corey ^[2]; Bista, Sandip Singh ^[2]; Li, Deng -Bing ^[2]; Yan, Yanfa  ^[2]; Holtz, Mark ^[1]; Li, Jian V.  ^[3]

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1. Texas State Univ., San Marcos, TX (United States)
2. The Univ. of Toledo, Toledo, OH (United States)
3. National Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan (Taiwan)

Electronic properties of a CdTe solar cell are reported using temperature-dependent capacitance spectroscopy and current-voltage characteristics, the latter in dark and illuminated conditions. The baseline solar cell material stack investigated is comprised of soda-lime-glass/SnO₂:F/SnO₂/CdS:O-buffer/CdTe-absorber/Cu/Au. Properties are compared with CdTe solar cells in which the back surface was hydroiodic acid etched, before the back-contact formation, and a CdTe device in which Mg-doped ZnO (MZO) replaces buffer layer CdS. Reduced back-contact barrier height and grain boundary barrier height are observed in the HI treated CdTe cell. As a result, improved device performance in the MZO-based CdTe device is attributed to reduced emitter/absorber interface recombination when using the MZO window layer.

• Research Organization: Texas State Univ., San Marcos, TX (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
• Grant/Contract Number: EE0007541
• OSTI ID: 1579310
• Journal Information: Thin Solid Films, Vol. 685, Issue C; ISSN 0040-6090
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
Cadmium telluride solar cells
Back surface etching
Cadmium oxysulphide
Magnesium-doped zinc oxide
Buffer layers
Recombination
Defects
Charge carrier transport