Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T02:11:51.247Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Thermochemical and Kinetic Aspects of Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell Processing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Brian E. McCandless
Brian E. McCandless*
Affiliation:
Institute of Energy ConversionUniversity of DelawareNewark, Delaware 19716, USA
Get access

Abstract

A chemical and kinetic basis underlying processing strategies for thin film polycrystalline CdTe/CdS solar cell fabrication is presented. The processing conditions employed for moderate and high conversion efficiency CdTe/CdS solar cells fall within a consistent framework based on temperature and concentration of CdCl2 and O2 species during film deposition or thermal treatment. Detailed microstructural and compositional results are compared for thin-film CdTe/CdS structures with CdTe deposited by physical vapor deposition, electrodeposition and close-space sublimation. X-ray diffraction coupled with a model for diffusion of CdS into CdTe is used to determine the effect of treatment conditions on bulk and grain boundary diffusion coefficients. The effects of CdS diffusion, oxides, recrystallization and grain growth with respect to device efficiency, stability and process control over large area are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 668: Symposium H – II-IV Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaic Materials , 2001 , H1.6
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Birkmire, R. W. and Eser, E., Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci., 27, 625 (1997).Google Scholar
2. Bonnet, D. (Ed), International Journal of Solar Energy, 12 (1-4) (1992).Google Scholar
3. Tyan, Y. S., Perez-Albuerne, E. A., Proc. 16th I.E.E.E. PVSC, 794 (1982).Google Scholar
4. Ferekides, C. S., Marinsky, D., Viswanathan, V., Tetali, B., Palekis, V., Selvaraj, P., Morel, D. L, Thin Solid Films 361–362, 520 (2000).Google Scholar
5. Zweibel, K. (private communication)Google Scholar
6. Yamaguchi, K., Matsumoto, H., Nakayama, N., Ikegami, S., Jap. J. Appl. Phys. 16, 1203 (1977).Google Scholar
7. Birkmire, R. W., DiNetta, L. D., Jackson, S. C., Lasswell, P. G., McCandless, B. E., Meakin, J. D., Phillips, J. E., Proc. 18th I.E.E.E. PVSC, 1413 (1985).Google Scholar
8. Knacke, O., Kubaschewski, O., Hesselmann, K., Thermochemical Properties of Inorganic Substances, (sSpringer-Verlag, New York, 1991).Google Scholar
9. McCandless, B. E., Engelmann, M. G., Birkmire, R. W., J. Appl. Phys. 89 (2), 988 (2001).Google Scholar
10. McCandless, B. E., Hanket, G. M., Jensen, D. G., Birkmire, R. W., (unpublished work)Google Scholar
11. Wei, Su-Huai, Zhang, S. B., and Zunger, Alex, J.Appl. Phys., 87 (3), 1304 (2000).Google Scholar
12. Ohata, K., Saraie, J., and Tanaka, T., Jap. Journ. Appl. Phys. 12 (8), 1198 (1973).Google Scholar
13. Nunoue, S. Y., Hemmi, T., and Kato, E., J. Electrochem. Soc., 137(4), 1248 (1990).Google Scholar
14. Moon, D. G. and Im, H. B., Powder Metall. 35, 53 (1992).Google Scholar
15. Jensen, D. G., McCandless, B. E., Birkmire, R. W., MRS Symposium. 426, 325 (1996).Google Scholar
16. McCandless, B. E., Hichri, H., Hanket, G., Birkmire, R. W., Proc. 25th I.E.E.E. PVSC, 781 (1996).Google Scholar
17. Schwartzman, A. (private communication).Google Scholar
18. Robertson, D. S., Shaw, N., Young, I. M., J. Mat. Sci. 13, 1986 (1978).Google Scholar
19. Birkmire, R. W., Eser, E., Hegedus, S. S., McCandless, B. E., Phillips, J. E., Shafarman, W. N., Annual Report to N.R.E.L. for Aug. 1998 to Aug. 1999, Subcontract No. ZAK-817619-33 (2000).Google Scholar
20. McCandless, B. E., Youm, I., Birkmire, R. W., Prog. in Photovoltaics, 7, 21 (1999).Google Scholar
21. McCandless, B. E., Moulton, L. V., Birkmire, R. W., Prog. in Photovoltaics, 5, 249 (1997).Google Scholar
22. McCandless, B. E. and Birkmire, R. W., Proc. 16th European PVSEC, 781 (2001).Google Scholar
23. McCandless, B. E. and Birkmire, R. W., presented at 28th I.E.E.E. PVSC, Anchorage, 2000 (unpublished).Google Scholar