Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T02:27:59.968Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Status of and Challenges in CdTe Thin-Film Solar-Cell Technology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Alvin D. Compaan
Alvin D. Compaan*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA
Get access

Abstract

Polycrystalline CdTe thin-film solar cells have shown high potential for low cost, large-area module fabrication. But successful large-scale commercial production has been elusive. Fabrication of the basic n-CdS/p-CdTe heterojunction is possible by a wide variety of methods, including close-spaced sublimation, vapor-transport deposition, electrodeposition, chemical bath deposition, and magnetron sputtering. An overview of these methods is presented as well as the role of the postdeposition “activation” treatment using CdCl2 and issues related to the difficulty of obtaining low resistance back contacts to CdTe. We present some of our recent fabrication results using rf magnetron sputtering and discuss some of the advantages that appear possible from the use of sputtering methods in this class of materials. Some of these advantages are particularly relevant as the polycrystalline thin-film PV community addresses the challenges of fabricating tandem cells with efficiencies over 25%.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 808: Symposium A – Amorphous and Nanocrystaline Silicon Science and Technology-2004 , 2004 , A7.6
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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] Olson, J.M., Friedman, D.J., and Kurtz, S., in Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, ed by Luque, A. and Hegedus, S., Wiley, 2003, pp. 359–407.Google Scholar
[2] Tobias, I., C. del Canizo, and Alonso, J., in Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, ed by Luque, A. and Hegedus, S., Wiley, 2003, pp. 255–303 Google Scholar
[3] A variety of data on PV efficiencies and production is available at http://www.nrel.gov/solar/Google Scholar
[4] A very recent review of CI(G)S, CdTe, and a-Si cells can be found in articles, respectively by , Shafarman and , Stolt, , McCandless and , Sites, and by , Deng and , Schiff, in Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, ed by Luque, A. and Hegedus, S., Wiley, 2003.Google Scholar
[5] Margolis, Robert M., “Experience Curves and Photovoltaic Technology Policy at the Human Dimensions of Global Change Seminar,” Carnegie Mellon University, October 16, 2002 Google Scholar
[6] Surek, Tom, Third World Conf. on PV Energy Conversion, Osaka, May, 2003, paper 8PLE301.Google Scholar
[7] Persson, C. and Zunger, A., Appl. Phys. Ltrs, Feb. 2004.Google Scholar
[8] Liu, Xiangxin, Compaan, A.D., Leyarovska, N., and Terry, J., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 763, paper B3.5, (2003)Google Scholar
[9] Gessert, T., Duda, A., Asher, S., Narayanswamy, C., Rose, C., 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conf.–2000, pp. 654–7Google Scholar
[10]Drayton, J., Gupta, A., Makhratchev, K., Price, K.J., Bohn, R.G., and Compaan, A.D., “Properties of RF Sputtered ZnTe:N for Back Contact to CdS/CdTe Solar Cells,” Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 668,H5.9.1 (2001)Google Scholar
[11]Britt, J. and Ferekides, C., “Thin-film CdS/CdTe solar cell with 15.8% efficiency,” Appl. Phys. Lett 62, 2851 (1993).Google Scholar
[12]Wu, X., et al, 17th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 995 (2000).Google Scholar
[13]Wei, Su-Huai, Zhang, S.B., and Zunger, Alex, J. Appl. Phys, 87, 1304 (2000)Google Scholar
[14]Molva, E., Pautrat, J.L., Saminadayar, K., Milchberg, G., Magnea, N., Phys. Rev. B 30, 3344–54 (1984); A. Castaldini, A. Cavalini, and B. Fraboni, Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 3510 (1996).Google Scholar
[15]Shao, M., Fischer, A., Grecu, D., Jayamaha, U., Bykov, E., Contreras-Puente, G., Bohn, R.G., and Compaan, A.D., Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 3045–3047 (1996).Google Scholar
[16]Gupta, Akhlesh and Compaan, Alvin D., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 763, 161–4 (2003).Google Scholar
[17]Igasaki, Y. and Saito, H., J. Appl. Phys., 70, 3613 (1991); A.N. Tiwari, A. Romero, D. Baetzner and H. Zogg, Prog. Res. Appl. 9, 211 (2001)Google Scholar
[18]Aramoto, T., Adurodija, F., Nishiyama, Y., Arita, T., Hanafusa, A., Omura, K. and Morita, A., Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 75, 211 (2003)Google Scholar
[19] Xiangxin Liu, Compaan, A.D., Leyarovska, N., and Terry, J., “Cu K-edge EXAFS in CdTe before and after treatment with CdCl2,” Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc.763, paper B3.5, (2003)Google Scholar
[20]Karpov, V.G., “Critical Disorder and Phase Transitions in Random Diode Arrays,” Phys. Rev. Ltrs. 91, 226806–1 (2003); V.G. Karpov, A.D. Compaan, and Diana Shvydka, “Random diode arrays and mesoscale physics of large-area semiconductor devices,” Phys Rev. B 69 045325 (2004)Google Scholar
[21]Drayton, J., Taylor, C., Gupta, A., Bohn, R.G., Rich, G., Compaan, A.D., McCandless, B.E., and Rose, D., “Properties of reactively sputtered ZnTe:N and its use in recombination junctions,” 29th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference-2002, pp. 539–42.Google Scholar
[22]Compaan, A.D., Drayton, Jennifer, Parikh, V.Y., Rich, G., Gupta, A., Taylor, C., Yu, Y., Osborn, T., and Bohn, R.G., Third World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Osaka, May 11-18, 2003 (paper 2P-A8-31).Google Scholar
[23]Wang, S.L., Lee, S.H., Gupta, A., and Compaan, A.D., “RF sputtered HgCdTe films for tandem cell applications,” 11th Int'l Conf. on II-VI Compounds, physica status solidi (c), 1.4.2004, pp.1046–9Google Scholar