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Nucleation and Grain Boundaries in Thin Film CdTe/CdS Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Jon D Major ,
Yuri Y Proskuryakov  and
Ken Durose
Jon D Major
Affiliation:
[email protected], Durham University, Department of Physics, Durham, United Kingdom
Yuri Y Proskuryakov
Affiliation:
[email protected], Durham University, Department of Physics, Durham, United Kingdom
Ken Durose
Affiliation:
[email protected], Durham University, Department of Physics, South Road, Durham, DH1 3BH, United Kingdom
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Abstract

The early stage formation mechanisms operating during the sublimation growth of CdTe films on CdS has been evaluated using a growth interrupt methodology for deposition under 100 Torr of N2. Key stages of the growth were identified and are discussed in terms of the processes of island nucleation, island growth/coalescence, channel formation and secondary nucleation that have been reported for other materials systems. It was demonstrated that the grain size could be manipulated by means of controlling the gas pressure in the range 2 – 200 Torr, with the grain diameter increasing with pressure linearly as D (μm) = 0.027(± 0.011) × P (Torr) + 0.90(± 0.31). For a series of solar cells made using such material, the performance parameters were seen to increase with grain size up to a plateau corresponding to grains of ∼4 μm in this case. Equivalent circuit parameters for resistive components arising from grain boundaries, and the contact to the CdTe, were measured. It is considered that grain boundary barriers in CdTe are harmful to PV performance, and that the plateau in performance occurs when the grain size is increased to the level where the contact resistance is greater than that due to grain boundaries.

Keywords

photovoltaicgrain sizecrystal growth
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1165: Symposium M – Thin-Film Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaics–2009 , 2009 , 1165-M06-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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