A Rapid Screening Method for Investigating the Effect of Processing Parameters on CdTe/CdS Solar Cell Performance

A rapid screening method is reported in which material processing parameters are investigated as a function of the CdTe absorber thickness in CdTe/CdS solar cells. It has been used to investigate i) the optimum absorber thickness for CdCl2 processing at 380°C for 10 mins, and ii) the effect on device performance of post-growth annealing of CdS layer with H2, N2, and O2. It was found that the optimum thickness of CdTe compatible with the processing was ∼3μm. The device results were independent of the post-growth treatment of the CdS for the conditions investigated here. The bevel method allowed for ∼30 data points to be obtained from each sample, this giving a significant advantage over conventional experimental methods.