Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T13:42:42.240Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Electronic Properties of Chemically Etched CdTe Thin Films: Role of Te for Back-Contact Formation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

D. Kraft ,
A. Thiβen ,
M. Campo ,
M. Beerbom ,
T. Mayer ,
A. Klein  and
W. Jaegermann
D. Kraft
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science, Darmstadt University of Technology, Petersenstr. 23, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
A. Thiβen
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science, Darmstadt University of Technology, Petersenstr. 23, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
M. Campo
Affiliation:
ANTEC Technology GmbH, Arnstädter Str. 22, D-99334 Rudisleben, Germany
M. Beerbom
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science, Darmstadt University of Technology, Petersenstr. 23, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
T. Mayer
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science, Darmstadt University of Technology, Petersenstr. 23, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
A. Klein
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science, Darmstadt University of Technology, Petersenstr. 23, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
W. Jaegermann
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science, Darmstadt University of Technology, Petersenstr. 23, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Get access

Abstract

Improvement of electric back contact formation is one of the major issues of the CdTe thin film solar cell research. Chemical etching of CdTe before metallization is accepted to improve contact formation. It is believed that a CdTe/Te contact is formed by this procedure leading to a Fermi level position in the CdTe close to the valence band maximum for low contact resistance. We have studied the electronic properties of chemically etched CdTe surfaces with photoelectron spectroscopy. Etching of the samples was performed in air (“ex-situ“) as well as in an electrochemical setup directly attached to the UHV system (“in-situ“). The formation of a Te layer is clearly shown by (S)XPS. In contrast to previous studies we could not detect the formation of a p-CdTe surface for different experimental conditions. The detected Fermi level position indicates still band bending and hence a blocking Schottky barrier.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 668: Symposium H – II-IV Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaic Materials , 2001 , H7.5
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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. Chu, T.L., Current Topics in Photovoltaics 3 (1988) 235 Google Scholar
2. Zweibel, K., Mitchell, R., Advances in Solar Energy 6 (1991) 485 Google Scholar
3. Bloss, W., Pfisterer, F., Schubert, M., Walter, T., Prog. in Photovolt. Res. Appl. 3 (1995) 11 Google Scholar
4. Bonnet, D., Harr, M., Proc. of the 2nd Int. Conf. on Photovolt. Sol. En. Conv. 1 (1998) 397 Google Scholar
5. Gordillo, G., Florez, J.M., Hernandez, L.C., Teherán, P., 1st Proc. of the WCPEC (1994) 307 Google Scholar
6. Sarlund, J., Ritala, M., Leskelä, M., Siponmaa, E., Zilliacus, R., Sol. En. Mat. and Sol. Cells 44 (1996) 177 Google Scholar
7. Niles, D., Li, X., Sheldon, P., Höchst, H., J. Appl. Phys. 77 (1995) 4489 Google Scholar
8. Li, X., Niles, D., Hasoon, F.S., Matson, R.J., Sheldon, P., J.Vac.Sci.Technol. A17 (1999) 805 Google Scholar
9. Bätzner, D., Wendt, R., Romeo, A., Zogg, H., Tiwari, A.N., Thin Solid Films 361/2 (2000) 463 Google Scholar
10. Bätzner, D., Romeo, A., Zogg, H., Wendt, R., Tiwari, A.N., Thin Solid Films 387 (2001) 151 Google Scholar
11. Fritsche, J., Thißen, A., Klein, A., Jaegermann, W., Thin Solid Films 387 (2001) 161 Google Scholar
12. Stollwerck, G., Sites, J.R., Proc. of the 13th Europ. Photovolt. Sol. En. Conf. Nice, France (1995), 2020 Google Scholar
13. McMahon, T. J., Fahrenbruch, A. L., Proc. of the 28th IEEE PVSC Anchorage, Alaska (2000)Google Scholar