scholarly journals Inert gas bubble formation in magnetron sputtered thin-film CdTe solar cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 476 (2239) ◽  
pp. 20200056
Author(s):  
Peter Hatton ◽  
Ali Abbas ◽  
Piotr Kaminski ◽  
Sibel Yilmaz ◽  
Michael Watts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Bubble Formation ◽  
Cell Efficiency ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Zinc Blende ◽  
Current Production ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
Growth Barriers ◽  
Threshold Energies ◽  
Post Deposition

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells are deposited in current production using evaporation-based tech- niques. Fabricating CdTe solar cells using magnetron sputtering would have the advantage of being more cost-efficient. Here, we show that such deposition results in the incorporation of the magnetron working gas Ar, within the films. Post deposition processing with CdCl 2 improves cell efficiency and during which stacking faults are removed. The Ar then accumulates into clusters leading to the creation of voids and blisters on the surface. Using molecular dynamics, the penetration threshold energies are determined for both Ar and Xe, with CdTe in both zinc-blende and wurtzite phases. These calculations show that more Ar than Xe can penetrate into the growing film with most penetration across the (111) surface. The mechanisms and energy barriers for interstitial Ar and Xe diffusion in zinc-blende are determined. Barriers are reduced near existing clusters, increasing the probability of capture-based cluster growth. Barriers in wurtzite are higher with non-Arrhenius behaviour observed. This provides an explanation for the increase in the size of voids observed after stacking fault removal. Blister exfoliation was also modelled, showing the formation of shallow craters with a raised rim.

scholarly journals Effects of post-deposition CdCl2 annealing on electronic properties of CdTe solar cells

Solar Energy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 211 ◽  
pp. 938-948
Author(s):  
Sanjoy Paul ◽  
Sandeep Sohal ◽  
Craig Swartz ◽  
Deng-Bing Li ◽  
Sandip S. Bista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Electronic Properties ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Post Deposition

Reactions of H with C in Multicrystalline Si Solar-cell Materials

2010 ◽  
Vol 1268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Peng ◽  
Michael Stravola ◽  
Haoxiang Zhang ◽  
Vijay Yelundur ◽  
Ajeet Rohatgi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Defect Structures ◽  
Post Deposition Annealing ◽  
Cell Efficiency ◽  
Si Solar Cell ◽  
Si Solar Cells ◽  
Carbon Impurities ◽  
Defect Reactions ◽  
Related Defect ◽  
Post Deposition

AbstractHydrogen is commonly introduced into silicon solar cells to reduce the deleterious effects of defects and to increase cell efficiency. When hydrogen is introduced into multicrystalline Si that is often used for the fabrication of solar cells, the H atoms become trapped by carbon impurities to produce defect structures known at H2*(C). These defects act as both a source and a sink for hydrogen in H-related defect reactions. IR spectroscopy has been used to determine what H- and C-related defects are formed in multicrystalline Si when the carbon concentration is varied. A process that is used by industry to introduce hydrogen into Si solar cells is the post-deposition annealing of a hydrogen-rich SiNx layer. The H2*(C) defects provide a strategy for estimating the concentration and penetration depth of the hydrogen that is introduced by this method.

scholarly journals Effects of Cd 1-x Zn x S alloy composition and post-deposition air anneal on ultra-thin CdTe solar cells produced by MOCVD

2017 ◽  
Vol 192 ◽  
pp. 244-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Clayton ◽  
M.A. Baker ◽  
S. Babar ◽  
R. Grilli ◽  
P.N. Gibson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Alloy Composition ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Post Deposition

Real time and post-deposition optical analysis of interfaces in CdTe solar cells

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prakash Koirala ◽  
Naba Paudel ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Puja Pradhan ◽  
Dinesh Attygalle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Optical Analysis ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Post Deposition

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

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.

Post-deposition processing options for high-efficiency sputtered CdS/CdTe solar cells

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (6) ◽  
pp. 064502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naba R. Paudel ◽  
Matthew Young ◽  
Paul J. Roland ◽  
Randy J. Ellingson ◽  
Yanfa Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Post Deposition

Hydrogen Passivation of Defects in Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

2009 ◽  
Vol 1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Stavola ◽  
Fan Jiang ◽  
Suppawan Kleekajai ◽  
Lanlin Wen ◽  
Chao Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Crystalline Silicon ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Silicon Solar Cells ◽  
Hydrogen Passivation ◽  
Post Deposition Annealing ◽  
Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells ◽  
Cell Efficiency ◽  
Diffusion Depth ◽  
Post Deposition

AbstractHydrogen is commonly introduced into silicon solar cells to reduce the deleterious effects of defects and to increase cell efficiency. We have developed strategies by which hydrogen in silicon can be detected by IR spectroscopy with high sensitivity. The introduction of hydrogen into Si by the post-deposition annealing of a hydrogen-rich, SiNx coating has been investigated to determine hydrogen's concentration and penetration depth. Different hydrogenation processes were studied so that their effectiveness for the passivation of bulk defects could be compared. The best conditions investigated in our experiments yielded a hydrogen concentration near 1015 cm-3 and a diffusion depth consistent with the diffusivity of H found by Van Wieringen and Warmoltz.

Lock-in Thermography-Based Local Efficiency Analysis of Solar Cells

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otwin Breitenstein
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Efficiency Analysis ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Local Defect ◽  
Whole Cell ◽  
Local Efficiency ◽  
Cell Efficiency ◽  
Lock In ◽  
Efficiency Data

Abstract The electronic properties of solar cells, particularly multicrystalline silicon-based ones, are distributed spatially inhomogeneous, where regions of poor quality may degrade the performance of the whole cell. These inhomogeneities mostly affect the dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristic, which decisively affects the efficiency. Since the grid distributes the local voltage homogeneously across the cell and leads to lateral balancing currents, local light beam-induced current methods alone cannot be used to image local cell efficiency parameters. Lock-in thermography (LIT) is the method of choice for imaging inhomogeneities of the dark I-V characteristic. This contribution introduces a novel method for evaluating a number of LIT images taken at different applied biases. By pixel-wise fitting the data to a two diode model and taking into account local series resistance and short circuit current density data, realistically simulated images of the other cell efficiency parameters (open circuit voltage, fill factor, and efficiency) are obtained. Moreover, simulated local and global dark and illuminated I-V characteristics are obtained, also for various illumination intensities. These local efficiency data are expectation values, which would hold if a homogeneous solar cell had the properties of the selected region of the inhomogeneous cell. Alternatively, also local efficiency data holding for the cell working at its own maximum power point may be generated. The amount of degradation of different cell efficiency parameters in some local defect positions is an indication how dangerous these defects are for degrading this parameter of the whole cell. The method allows to virtually 'cut out' certain defects for checking their influence on the global characteristics. Thus, by applying this method, a detailed local efficiency analysis of locally inhomogeneous solar cells is possible. It can be reliably predicted how a cell would improve if certain defects could be avoided. This method is implemented in a software code, which is available.

scholarly journals Numerical Investigation of Graphene as a Back Surface Field Layer on the Performance of Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3275
Author(s):  
Devendra KC ◽  
Deb Kumar Shah ◽  
M. Shaheer Akhtar ◽  
Mira Park ◽  
Chong Yeal Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Doping Concentration ◽  
Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Back Surface ◽  
Back Surface Field ◽  
Cdte Solar Cell ◽  
Cdte Solar Cells ◽  
Surface Field

This paper numerically explores the possibility of ultrathin layering and high efficiency of graphene as a back surface field (BSF) based on a CdTe solar cell by Personal computer one-dimensional (PC1D) simulation. CdTe solar cells have been characterized and studied by varying the carrier lifetime, doping concentration, thickness, and bandgap of the graphene layer. With simulation results, the highest short-circuit current (Isc = 2.09 A), power conversion efficiency (h = 15%), and quantum efficiency (QE ~ 85%) were achieved at a carrier lifetime of 1 × 103 ms and a doping concentration of 1 × 1017 cm−3 of graphene as a BSF layer-based CdTe solar cell. The thickness of the graphene BSF layer (1 mm) was proven the ultrathin, optimal, and obtainable for the fabrication of high-performance CdTe solar cells, confirming the suitability of graphene material as a BSF. This simulation confirmed that a CdTe solar cell with the proposed graphene as the BSF layer might be highly efficient with optimized parameters for fabrication.

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