Caracterização da eletrodeposição de filmes finos de CdTe sobre Pt em meio ácido

RESUMO A eletrodeposição tem sido empregada para a obtenção de materiais semicondutores; todavia, ainda não estão bem esclarecidos os mecanismos envolvidos neste processo. Neste sentido, este trabalho apresenta a investigação deste processo, evidenciando a caracterização do CdTe eletrodepositado sobre substrato platina em solução ácida. A deposição ocorre a partir de 0,0 V, em relação ao eletrodo Ag/AgCl,KClsat, com etapas de controle ativado e de difusão. Os filmes finos de CdTe foram eletrodepositados sobre o substrato de platina a temperatura ambiente (~24°C) a partir de uma solução ácida. A influência do potencial aplicado foi investigada utilizando técnicas de caracterização de superfície, como a difração de raios X e Microscopia eletrônica de varredura. A caracterização elétrica foi realizada por medidas de capacitância (Mott-Schottky). Os filmes finos de CdTe apresentaram pico de maior intensidade no plano (220), demostrando ter um crescimento preferencial para esse plano. Os filmes apresentam uma morfologia granular influenciado pelo potencial de deposição e uma condutividade característica de um semicondutor tipo n

Emerging materials for solar cell applications: electrodeposited CdTe. Final report, February 14, 1979-February 14, 1980

Thin film gold/polycrystalline cadmium telluride Schottky solar cells made by electrodepositing the semiconductor on an ITO-coated glass substrate serving also as an ohmic contact demonstrated an internal efficiency of 4% over 2 mm/sup 2/ areas. During the year being reported upon, Monosolar devoted mator attention to refining the electroplating process and determining the parameters governing CdTe film stoichiometry, grain size, substrate adhesion, and quality. UCLA acting as a Monosolar sub-contractor characterized both the CdTe films themselves and solar cells made from them. Techniques were developed for making measurements on films often less than 1 micron in thickness. The highest values achieved for efficiency parameters, not necessarily all in the same cell, were V/sub oc/ = 0.5 V, J/sub sc/ = 11 mA/cm/sup 2/, and fill factor = 0.55 before corrections in the absence of anti-reflection coatings. Typical resistivities for n-CdTe films were 10/sup 5/ ..cap omega..-cm. Lifetimes of about 10/sup -10/ sec were measured. Absorption coefficient of these films is in the order of 10/sup 4/ for lambda < 0.7 ..mu..m. Measured energy gap for these CdTe films is 1.55 eV, sightly higher than the 1.45 eV value for single crystal CdTe. The activation energy of the dominating trap level is 0.55 eV. Trap density is in the order of 10/sup 16//cm/sup 3/. Schottky diodes were of excellent quality and pinhole-free. The measured barrier height varied between 0.75 and 0.85 eV. Rectification ratios of 10/sup 4/ were obtained reproducibly. Films measure about 1 inch square. Indications are that larger and more efficient low cost solar devices can readily be obtained soon using the techniques developed in this program

High efficiency copper ternary thin film solar cells

This report describes work to develop a high efficiency, thin film CuInSe{sub 2} solar cell using a potentially low-cost process. The technique used in this development program is a two-stage process. The two-stage process involves depositing the metallic elements of the CuInSe{sub 2} compound (i.e., Cu and In) on a substrate in the form of stacked layers, and then selenizing this stacked metallic film in an atmosphere containing Se. Early results showed that the electrodeposition/selenization technique could yield CuInSe{sub 2} films with good electrical and optical properties on small-area substrates. This report concentrates on the later half of the research effort; this portion was directed toward developing a two-stage process using evaporated Cu-In layers. The selenization technique has the potential of yielding solar cells with efficiencies in excess of 15 percent. 7 refs., 12 figs

Low-cost CdZnTe devices for cascade cell application

This report describes a research program to develop a low-cost technique for producing Cd{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x}Te devices for cascade solar cell applications. The technique involves a two-stage process for fabricating such devices with a band gap of about 1.7 eV and a transparent contact layer of low-resistivity ZnTe. In the first stage, thin films of Cd, Zn, and Te are deposited in stacked layers as Cd{sub 1-x}An{sub x}Te. The second stage involves hearing and reacting the layers to form the compound. At first, electrodeposition was used for depositing the layers to successfully fabricate Dc{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x}Te thin-film devices. These films were also intrinsically doped with copper. For the first time, transparent ZnTe films of low resistivity were obtained in a two-stage process; preliminary solar cells using films with low Zn content were demonstrated. A second phase of the project involved growing films with higher Zn content (>15%). Such films were grown on CdS-coated substrates for fabricating devices. The effects of the solar-cell processing steps on the Cd{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x}Te and CdS/Cd{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x}Te interfaces were studied; results showed that the nature of the interface depended on the stoichiometry of the Cd{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x}Te thin film. A sharp interface was observed for the CdS/CdTe structures, but the interface became highly diffused as the Zn content in the absorber layer increased above 15%. The interaction between the CdS window layer and the Cd{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x}Te absorber layer was found to result from an exchange reaction between Zn in the absorber layer and the thin CdS film. 14 refs., 10 figs

Application of CIS to high-efficiency PV module fabrication. Phase 3 final technical report

During this research period, researchers at International Solar Electric Technology (ISET) concentrated their efforts on three different areas of research. Within the National CIS R and D Team, ISET participated in the substrate/Mo interactions working group and investigated issues such as Na diffusion from the soda-lime glass substrate into the Mo layers and CIS films. Researchers determined that the Na content within the Mo layers was not a strong function of the nature of the Mo film. However, they found that diffusion through the Mo layers was a function of the Mo film characteristics as well as a very strong function of the CIS growth process itself. Researchers showed conclusively that the Na resided on the grain boundaries of CIS layers. Another team activity involved evaluation of CdS-free CIS solar cells. ZnO/CIS junctions prepared by the two-stage process showed light-soaking effects. Cells left under illumination improved in efficiency and were similar to the CdS/CIS junctions. After storage in the dark, however, efficiency deteriorated greatly for the ZnO/CIS device, most of the decline coming from the open-circuit voltage values. Much of the effort during this period was spent on developing a low-cost, non-vacuum CIS deposition technique. The method developed involves particulate deposition and formation of precursor layers followed by the conversion of these layers into CIS. Test modules of 40--60 cm{sup 2} were adapted to understand the issues involved in this novel technology. At the present time, the submodule efficiencies are 6--7%. Single-cell efficiencies are in the 10--13% range