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Sulfur Diffusion In Polycrystalline Thin-Film CdTe Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

M. H. Aslan
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
W. Song
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
J. Tang
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
D. Mao
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
R. T. Collins
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
D. H. Levi
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
R. K. Ahrenkiel
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
S. C. Lindstrom
Affiliation:
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy and Laboratory for Electronic Properties of Materials, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019
M. B. Johnson
Affiliation:
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy and Laboratory for Electronic Properties of Materials, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019
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Abstract

X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence measurements have been used to characterize the diffusion of S into CdTe during post growth annealing of CdTe solar cells. For anneals at 410°C in the presence of CdCl2, evidence that both a CdTe1 xSx phase and nearly-pure CdTe are present near the back contact is observed. The ternary phase becomes more prominent and the S concentration increases with depth reaching roughly 4–5% near the CdS interface. Much less diffusion is observed at 350°C while for a 460°C anneal, CdTe1-xSx with a S concentration near 5% is found throughout the layer. The presence of CdC12 during the anneal enhances the interdiffusion.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

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