Wiring-up Carbon Single Wall Nanotubes to Polycrystalline Inorganic Semiconductor Thin Films: Low-Barrier, Copper-Free Back Contact to CdTe Solar Cells

Nano Letters ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5224-5232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam B. Phillips ◽  
Rajendra R. Khanal ◽  
Zhaoning Song ◽  
Rosa M. Zartman ◽  
Jonathan L. DeWitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Semiconductor Thin Films ◽  
Inorganic Semiconductor ◽  
Single Wall Nanotubes

scholarly journals Properties of Arsenic–Doped ZnTe Thin Films as a Back Contact for CdTe Solar Cells

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 3706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ochai Oklobia ◽  
Giray Kartopu ◽  
Stuart J. C. Irvine
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Activation Process ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Contact Activation ◽  
Doping Density ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Absorber Doping ◽  
P Type

As-doped polycrystalline ZnTe layers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) have been investigated as a back contact for CdTe solar cells. While undoped ZnTe films were essentially insulating, the doped layers showed significant rise in conductivity with increasing As concentration. High p-type carrier densities up 4.5 × 1018 cm−3 was measured by the Hall-effect in heavily doped ZnTe:As films, displaying electrical properties comparable to epitaxial ZnTe single crystalline thin films in the literature. Device incorporation with as-deposited ZnTe:As yielded lower photovoltaic (PV) performance compared to reference devices, due to losses in the open-circuit potential (VOC) and fill factor (FF) related to reducing p-type doping density (NA) in the absorber layer. Some minor recovery observed in absorber doping following a Cl-free post–ZnTe:As deposition anneal in hydrogen at 420 °C contributed to a slight improvement in VOC and NA, highlighting the significance of back contact activation. A mild CdCl2 activation process on the ZnTe:As back contact layer via a sacrificial CdS cap layer has been assessed to suppress Zn losses, which occur in the case of standard CdCl2 anneal treatments (CHT) via formation of volatile ZnCl2. The CdS sacrificial cap was effective in minimising the Zn loss. Compared to untreated and non-capped, mild CHT processed ZnTe:As back contacted devices, mild CHT with a CdS barrier showed the highest recovery in absorber doping and an ~10 mV gain in VOC, with the best cell efficiency approaching the baseline devices.

Preparation of Cu2Te Thin Films and Back-Contact Formation of CdTe Solar Cells

2009 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 085501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Lv ◽  
Xia Di ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Lianghuan Feng ◽  
Zhi Lei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Contact Formation ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells

Solution-processed Nanocrystal Based Thin Films as Hole Transport Materials in Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaics

MRS Advances ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (41) ◽  
pp. 2441-2447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebin Bastola ◽  
Kamala Khanal Subedi ◽  
Khagendra P. Bhandari ◽  
Randy J. Ellingson
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Cadmium Telluride ◽  
Valence Band ◽  
Hole Transport ◽  
Transport Layer ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Iron Pyrite ◽  
Solution Processed ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells

ABSTRACTThe cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) comprise an efficient and cost-effective technology for harvesting solar energy. However, device efficiency remains limited in part by low-open circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF) due to inefficient transport of photo-generated charge carriers. Given the deep valence band of CdTe, the use of copper/gold (Cu/Au) as a back contact serves primarily to narrow the width of the inherent Schottky junction evident in CdTe solar cells (in our laboratory, Cu/Au has been used as a standard back contact). For efficient transport of carriers to and into the back contact, a hole transport layer (HTL) is desired with valence band edge comparable to that of CdTe (∼ -5.9 eV). Here, we report solution-processed nanocrystal (NCs) based thin films as HTLs in CdTe solar cells. The earth abundant materials we discuss include iron pyrite (FeS2), nickel-alloyed iron pyrite (NixFe1-xS2), zinc copper sulfide (ZnxCu1-xS) nanocomposites, and perovskite-based films. The FeS2 and NixFe1-xS2 NCs are synthesized by a hot-injection route, and thin films are fabricated by drop-casting, and spin-coating techniques using colloidal NCs. ZnxCu1-xS thin films are fabricated by chemical bath deposition. These NC-based thin films are applied and studied as the HTLs in CdTe devices. On using these materials, the device performance can be increased up to 10% compared to the standard Cu/Au back contact. Here, we discuss the benefits, challenges, and opportunities for these back contact materials in CdTe photovoltaics.

Development of MoOx thin films as back contact buffer for CdTe solar cells in substrate configuration

2013 ◽  
Vol 535 ◽  
pp. 193-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Gretener ◽  
J. Perrenoud ◽  
L. Kranz ◽  
C. Baechler ◽  
S. Yoon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells

Characterization of sputtered MoOx thin films with different oxygen content and their application as back contact in CdTe solar cells

Vacuum ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 176 ◽  
pp. 109337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan He ◽  
Xiaohan Yin ◽  
Jingmei Li ◽  
Sen Lin ◽  
Lili Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Oxygen Content ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells

Bilayered ZnTe/Cu1.4Te alloy thin films as a back contact for CdTe solar cells

Solar Energy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 185 ◽  
pp. 262-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Du ◽  
Linyu Zhu ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Jingquan Zhang ◽  
Lili Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells

Thermally evaporated CdS thin films for CdS/CdTe solar cells: Effect of substrate temperature on CdS layer

2021 ◽  
Vol 273 ◽  
pp. 115406
Author(s):  
A.A.I. Lakmal ◽  
R.K.K.G.R.G. Kumarasinghe ◽  
V.A. Seneviratne ◽  
Jiann-Yeu Chen ◽  
Jenn-Ming Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Substrate Temperature ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Cds Thin Films

scholarly journals C-VCalculations in CdS/CdTe Thin Films Solar Cells with aCdSxTe1-xInterlayer

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
A. Gonzalez-Cisneros ◽  
F. L. Castillo-Alvarado ◽  
J. Ortiz-Lopez ◽  
G. Contreras-Puente
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Photovoltaic Cells ◽  
Cdte Film ◽  
Vapor Transport ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Cdte Thin Films ◽  
Cds Film ◽  
Theoretical Results

In CdS/CdTe solar cells, chemical interdiffusion at the interface gives rise to the formation of an interlayer of the ternary compoundCdSxCdTe1-x. In this work, we evaluate the effects of this interlayer in CdS/CdTe photovoltaic cells in order to improve theoretical results describing experimentalC-V(capacitance versus voltage) characteristics. We extended our previous theoretical methodology developed on the basis of three cardinal equations (Castillo-Alvarado et al., 2010). The present results provide a better fit to experimental data obtained from CdS/CdTe solar cells grown in our laboratory by the chemical bath deposition (for CdS film) and the close-spaced vapor transport (for CdTe film) techniques.

Synthesis of high-quality ZnTe:Cu films as a back contact layer for CdTe solar cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinlu Lin ◽  
Yufeng Zhang ◽  
Ziyao Zhu ◽  
Qiuchen Wu ◽  
Xiangxin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Contact Layer ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells
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