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Effect of CdCl2 Treatment Conditions on the Deep Level Density, Carrier Lifetime and Conversion Efficiency of CdTe Thin Film Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

A. Sandhu ,
K. Kobayashi ,
T. Okamoto ,
A. Yamada  and
M. Konagai
A. Sandhu
Affiliation:
Tokai University, Dept of Electrical Engineering, 1117 Kita-kaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 239-1292, Japan
K. Kobayashi
Affiliation:
Tokai University, Dept of Electrical Engineering, 1117 Kita-kaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 239-1292, Japan
T. Okamoto
Affiliation:
Dept of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
A. Yamada
Affiliation:
Dept of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
M. Konagai
Affiliation:
Dept of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
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Abstract

The effect of CdCl2 annealing conditions of glass/TCO/n/CdS/p-CdTe solar cell structures on the deep level density and carrier lifetime of the p-CdTe layer and correlation with the solar cell conversion efficiency was investigated. CdCl2 treatment was carried out at temperatures ranging from 370 to 460°C for 15 min. A clear correlation between trap density, carrier lifetime, conversion efficiency and the CdCl2 annealing conditions was observed. Un-annealed structures had a conversion efficiency of 5.7%, hole trap energy of EV+0.42eV, hole trap density of 8.71×1014cm−3, and decay lifetime of 0.15μs. The optimum CdCl2 annealing temperature was found to be 415°C for structures grown at a substrate temperature of 595°C, where the conversion efficiency, hole trap energy, hole trap density, decay lifetime were 13.4%, EV+0.44eV, 8.10×1012 cm−3 and 0.40μs, respectively.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 668: Symposium H – II-IV Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaic Materials , 2001 , H8.13
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

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