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Highly Arsenic Doped CdTe Layers for the Back Contacts of CdTe Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Vincent Barrioz ,
Yuri Y. Proskuryakov ,
Eurig W. Jones ,
Jon D. Major ,
Stuart J.C. Irvine ,
Ken Durose  and
Dan A. Lamb
Vincent Barrioz
Affiliation:
v.barrioz@bangor.ac.uk, University of Wales, Bangor, School of Chemistry, Deiniol Road,, Gwynedd, Bangor, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom, +44 (0)1248 382 235, +44 (0)1248 370 528
Yuri Y. Proskuryakov
Affiliation:
y.y.proskuryakov@durham.ac.uk, Durham University, Department of Physics, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
Eurig W. Jones
Affiliation:
chp00c@bangor.ac.uk, University of Wales Bangor, School of Chemistry, Gwynedd, Bangor, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom
Jon D. Major
Affiliation:
j.d.major@durham.ac.uk, Durham University, Department of Physics, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
Stuart J.C. Irvine
Affiliation:
sjc.irvine@bangor.ac.uk, University of Wales Bangor, School of Chemistry, Gwynedd, Bangor, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom
Ken Durose
Affiliation:
ken.durose@durham.ac.uk, Durham University, Department of Physics, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
Dan A. Lamb
Affiliation:
d.a.lamb@bangor.ac.uk, University of Wales Bangor, School of Chemistry, Gwynedd, Bangor, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom
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Abstract

In an effort to overcome the lack of a suitable metal as an ohmic back contact for CdTe solar cells, a study was carried out on the potential for using a highly arsenic (As) doped CdTe layer with metallization. The deposition of full CdTe/CdS devices, including the highly doped CdTe:As and the CdCl2 treatment, were carried out by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD), in an all-in-one process with no etching being necessary. They were characterized and compared to control devices prepared using conventional bromine-methanol back contact etching. SIMS and C-V profiling results indicated that arsenic concentrations of up to 1.5 × 1019 at·cm-3 were incorporated in the CdTe. Current-voltage (J-V) characteristics showed strong improvements, particularly in the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and series resistance (Rs): With a 250 nm thick doped layer, the series resistance was reduced from 9.8 Ω·cm2 to 1.6 Ω·cm2 for a contact area of 0.25 cm2; the J-V curves displayed no rollover, while the Voc increased by up to 70 mV (~ 12 % rise). Preliminary XRD data show that there may be an As2Te3 layer at the CdTe surface which could be contributing to the low barrier height of this contact.

Keywords

photovoltaicII-VIdopant
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1012: Symposium Y – Thin-Film Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaics-2007 , 2007 , 1012-Y12-08
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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