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Characterization of electrochemical photovoltaic cells using polycrystalline CdSe and CdTe electrodes grown by a liquid metal-vapor reaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Zhitsing Deng ,
Michelina Cinquino  and
Marcus F. Lawrence
Zhitsing Deng
Affiliation:
Laboratories for Inorganic Materials, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Bld. West, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3G 1M8
Michelina Cinquino
Affiliation:
Laboratories for Inorganic Materials, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Bld. West, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3G 1M8
Marcus F. Lawrence*
Affiliation:
Laboratories for Inorganic Materials, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Bld. West, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3G 1M8
*
b)Address correspondence to this author.
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Abstract

Polycrystalline CdSe and CdTe layers were fabricated by putting liquid Cd in contact with Se or Te vapors under constant Ar flow. The crystalline structure, surface properties, and semiconducting properties of these materials have been determined. Both materials were found to be n-type semiconductors. The results show that, under the proper experimental conditions, the liquid metal-vapor reaction enables the synthesis of polycrystalline CdSe photoelectrodes with a 6.9% energy conversion efficiency when used in an electrochemical photovoltaic cell under 80 mW/cm2 of white light illumination. This efficiency rates amongst the highest ones measured under similar conditions using polycrystalline CdSe. These CdSe layers have a majority charge carrier density of ND = 2.6 × 1017 cm−3 and possess a highly textured surface which is assumed to be mainly responsible for the high photovoltaic efficiency. The highly textured CdTe samples obtained by this process, however, show a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of only 0.2%, and this is seen to be mainly due to their high majority charge carrier density of ND = 7.8 × 1019 cm−3.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 6 , Issue 6 , June 1991 , pp. 1293 - 1299
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991

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