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Cadmium Chloride Assisted Re-Crystallization of CdTe: The Effect of Varying the Annealing Time

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2014

A. Abbas ,
G. D. West ,
J.W. Bowers ,
P. M. Kaminski ,
B. Maniscalco ,
J.M. Walls ,
Kurt L. Barth  and
W.S. Sampath
A. Abbas
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom CREST (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems and Technology), Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
G. D. West
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
J.W. Bowers
Affiliation:
CREST (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems and Technology), Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
P. M. Kaminski
Affiliation:
CREST (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems and Technology), Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
B. Maniscalco
Affiliation:
CREST (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems and Technology), Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
J.M. Walls
Affiliation:
CREST (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems and Technology), Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
Kurt L. Barth
Affiliation:
NSF I/UCRC for Next Generation Photovoltaics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
W.S. Sampath
Affiliation:
NSF I/UCRC for Next Generation Photovoltaics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
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Abstract

Although the cadmium chloride treatment is an essential process for high efficiency thin film cadmium telluride photovoltaic devices, the precise mechanisms involved that improve the cadmium telluride layer are not well understood. In this investigation we apply advanced micro-structural characterization techniques to study the effect of varying the time of the cadmium chloride annealing treatment on the micro-structure of cadmium telluride solar cells deposited by close spaced sublimation (CSS) and relate this to cell performance. A range of techniques has been used to observe the morphological changes to the micro-structure as well as the chemical and crystallographic changes as a function of treatment parameters. Electrical tests that link the device performance with the micro-structural properties of the cells have also been undertaken. Techniques used include Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) for sub-grain analysis and XPS for composition-depth profiling. The study provides a new insight in to the mechanisms involved in the initiation and the subsequent complete re-crystallization of the cadmium telluride layer.

Keywords

photovoltaicthin filmtransmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1638: Symposium W – Next-Generation Inorganic Thin-Film Photovoltaics , 2014 , mrsf13-1638-w09-11
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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References

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