Transparent conductors and buffer layers for CdTe solar cells

ABSTRACTFormation of a low barrier back contact plays a critical role in improving the photoconversion efficiency of the CdTe solar cells. Incorporating a buffer layer to minimize the band bending at the back of the CdTe device can significantly lower the barrier for the hole current, improving open circuit voltage (VOC) and the fill factor. Over the past years, researchers have incorporated the both ZnTe and Te as buffer layers to improve CdTe device performance. Here we compare device performance using these two materials as buffer layers at the back of CdTe devices. We show that using Te in contact to CdTe results in higher performance than using ZnTe in contact to the CdTe. Low temperature current density-voltage measurements show that Te results is a lower barrier with CdTe than ZnTe, indicating that Te has better band alignment, resulting in less downward bending in the CdTe at the back interface, than ZnTe does.

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Non-uniformity mitigation in CdTe solar cells: the effects of high-resistance transparent conducting oxide buffer layers

Conference Record of the Thirty-first IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference 2005 PVSC-05 ◽

10.1109/pvsc.2005.1488121 ◽

2005 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

S.D. Feldman ◽

L. Mansfield ◽

T.R. Ohno ◽

V. Kaydanov ◽

J.D. Beach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

High Resistance ◽

Transparent Conducting Oxide ◽

Buffer Layers ◽

Cdte Solar Cells ◽

Transparent Conducting

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The Role of Back Buffer Layers and Absorber Properties for >25% Efficient CdTe Solar Cells

ACS Applied Energy Materials ◽

10.1021/acsaem.9b00367 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (8) ◽

pp. 5419-5426 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Geethika K. Liyanage ◽

Adam B. Phillips ◽

Fadhil K. Alfadhili ◽

Randy J. Ellingson ◽

Michael J. Heben

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Buffer Layers ◽

Cdte Solar Cells

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Numerical analysis on ZnxCd1−xS/CdTe solar cells with different buffer layers, front and back contacts

2011 IEEE Regional Symposium on Micro and Nano Electronics ◽

10.1109/rsm.2011.6088292 ◽

2011 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Md. Sharafat Hossain ◽

M. M. Aliyu ◽

M. A. Matin ◽

T. Razykov ◽

K. Sopian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Numerical Analysis ◽

Buffer Layers ◽

Cdte Solar Cells

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Electronic Properties of CdTe/CdS Solar Cells as Influenced by a Buffer Layer

MRS Advances ◽

10.1557/adv.2016.69 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 (14) ◽

pp. 937-942 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Y. G. Fedorenko ◽

J. D. Major ◽

A. Pressman ◽

L. Phillips ◽

K. Durose

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Grain Boundary ◽

Electronic Properties ◽

Buffer Layer ◽

Defect Density ◽

Deep Trap ◽

Energy Shift ◽

Buffer Layers ◽

Cdte Solar Cells ◽

Strain Interaction

ABSTRACTWe considered modification of the defect density of states in CdTe as influenced by a buffer layer in ZnO(ZnS, SnSe)/CdS/CdTe solar cells. Compared to the solar cells employing ZnO buffer layers, implementation of ZnSe and ZnS resulted in the lower net ionized acceptor concentration and the energy shift of the dominant deep trap levels to the midgap of CdTe. The results clearly indicated that the same defect was responsible for the inefficient doping and the formation of recombination centers in CdTe. This observation can be explained taking into account the effect of strain on the electronic properties of the grain boundary interface states in polycrystalline CdTe. In the conditions of strain, interaction of chlorine with the grain boundary point defects can be altered.

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Difluorochloromethane treated thin CdS buffer layers for improved CdTe solar cells

Thin Solid Films ◽

10.1016/j.tsf.2019.01.003 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 672 ◽

pp. 7-13

Author(s):

Mauro Leoncini ◽

Elisa Artegiani ◽

Luca Lozzi ◽

Marco Barbato ◽

Matteo Meneghini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Buffer Layers ◽

Cdte Solar Cells

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The impact of different metallization layers on CdTe solar cells contacted with ZnTe:Cu buffer layers

2016 IEEE 43rd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) ◽

10.1109/pvsc.2016.7749862 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jiaojiao Li ◽

Timothy R. Ohno ◽

Colin A. Wolden

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Buffer Layers ◽

Cdte Solar Cells ◽

The Impact

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A Comparative Study of the Thin-Film CdTe Solar Cells with ZnSe/TCO and the CdS/TCO Buffer Layers

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2011.1345 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 1324 ◽

Author(s):

Tamara Potlog ◽

Nicolae Spalatu ◽

Arvo Mere ◽

Jaan Hiie ◽

Valdek Mikli

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Buffer Layer ◽

Buffer Layers ◽

Glass Substrates ◽

Cdte Solar Cells ◽

Zinc Blende ◽

Photovoltaic Parameters ◽

Cdte Films ◽

First Time ◽

Zinc Blende Structure

ABSTRACTThe growth of ZnSe and CdTe thin films by close spaced sublimation is examined. The investigations show that ZnSe films deposited on glass substrates are polycrystalline and exhibit wurtzite-zinc-blende polytypism. The CdTe films grown on glass/SnO2/ZnSe are polycrystalline and have an f.c.c. zinc-blende structure as in the case of a glass/SnO2/CdS buffer layer. The electric and photovoltaic parameters of ZnSe/CdTe solar cells depend on the ZnSe film thickness. Furthermore, it is shown for the first time that the best photovoltaic parameters are achieved using a Zn buffer layer at the interface between ZnSe and CdTe.

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Effect of Annealing on the Properties of Antimony Telluride Thin Films and Their Applications in CdTe Solar Cells

International Journal of Photoenergy ◽

10.1155/2014/341518 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Zhouling Wang ◽

Yu Hu ◽

Wei Li ◽

Guanggen Zeng ◽

Lianghuan Feng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Contact Layer ◽

Buffer Layers ◽

Antimony Telluride ◽

X Ray ◽

Cdte Solar Cells ◽

Structural And Electrical Properties ◽

Different Temperatures ◽

P Type

Antimony telluride alloy thin films were deposited at room temperature by using the vacuum coevaporation method. The films were annealed at different temperatures in N2ambient, and then the compositional, structural, and electrical properties of antimony telluride thin films were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and Hall measurements. The results indicate that single phase antimony telluride existed when the annealing temperature was higher than 488 K. All thin films exhibited p-type conductivity with high carrier concentrations. Cell performance was greatly improved when the antimony telluride thin films were used as the back contact layer for CdTe thin film solar cells. The dark current voltage and capacitance voltage measurements were performed to investigate the formation of the back contacts for the cells with or without Sb2Te3buffer layers. CdTe solar cells with the buffer layers can reduce the series resistance and eliminate the reverse junction between CdTe and metal electrodes.

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