CdS/CdTe Heterostructures for Applications in Ultra-Thin Solar Cells

Materials

Luis.A. Moreno-Ruiz¹  Hugo Martínez-Gutiérrez¹  JoséA. Andraca-Adame¹  Salvador Gallardo²  Patricia G. Zayas-Bazán³  Jorge Sastré-Hernández³  Karla Gutierrez Z-B³  Gerardo Contreras-Puente³  Osvaldo de Melo⁴  Francisco de Moure-Flores⁵ 

[1] Centro de Nanociencias y Micro y Nanotecnologías del IPN, Ciudad de México C.P. 07738, Mexico;Departamento Física, Cinvestav-IPN, Ciudad de México C.P. 07360, Mexico;Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México C.P. 07738, Mexico;Facultad de Física, Universidad de La Habana, Colina Universitaria, La Habana C.P. 10400, Cuba;Facultad de Química, Materiales-Energía, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro C.P. 76010, Mexico;

关键词: sputtering;    semiconductors;    thin films;    optical materials and properties;    solar energy materials;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ma11101788

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The preparation of ultra-thin semi-transparent solar cells with potential applications in windows or transparent roofs entails several challenges due to the very small thickness of the layers involved. In particular, problems related to undesired inter-diffusion or inhomogeneities originated by incomplete coverage of the growing surfaces must be prevented. In this paper, undoped SnO2, CdS, and CdTe thin films with thickness suitable for use in ultra-thin solar cells were deposited with a radiofrequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique onto conductive glass. Preparation conditions were found for depositing the individual layers with good surface coverage, absence of pin holes and with a relatively small growth rate adapted for the control of very small thickness. After a careful growth calibration procedure, heterostructured solar cells devices were fabricated. The influence of an additional undoped SnO2 buffer layer deposited between the conductive glass and the CdS window was studied. The incorporation of this layer led to an enhancement of both short circuit current and open circuit voltage (by 19 and 32%, respectively) without appreciable changes of other parameters. After the analysis of the cell parameters extracted from the current-voltage (I-V) curves, possible origins of these effects were found to be: Passivation effects of the SnO2/CdS interface, blocking of impurities diffusion or improvement of the band alignment.

【 授权许可】

Unknown