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Several Efficiency Influencing Factors In CdTe/CdS Solar Cells

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Abstract

Several efficiency influencing factors in MOCVD-grown CdTe/CdS solar cells, including preferential crystal orientation of CdTe layers, CdTe grain size and surface roughness, interfacial mixing, and surface and interface geometrical morphology, are studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that polycrystalline CdTe/CdS solar cells with higher efficiencies tend to have more (111) planes of CdTe parallel to the macro-surface. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis reveal the relationship between the grain size/surface roughness and cell efficiency. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiling show that the interfacial geometrical morphology has a significant influence on the efficiency of CdTe/CdS solar cells. Finally it is shown that interfacial mixing reduces the number of interfacial states and recombination centers and the energy loss due to internal reflectance, enhancing the performance of the solar cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Singapore, 119260

    K. Li & K. Li

  2. Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260

    A. T. S. Wee, J. Y. Lin & K. L. Tan

  3. School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

    Z. C. Feng, H. C. Chou, S. Kamra & A. Rohatgi

  4. EMCORE Corporation, 394 Elizabeth Avenue, Somerset, NJ, 08873

    Z. C. Feng

  5. Hewlett-Packard Company, Santa Rosa, CA, 95403

    H. C. Chou

  6. Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260

    L. Zhou & S. F. Y. Li

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  1. K. Li
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  2. Z. C. Feng
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  3. A. T. S. Wee
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  4. H. C. Chou
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  5. J. Y. Lin
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  6. S. Kamra
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  7. K. L. Tan
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  8. A. Rohatgi
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  9. L. Zhou
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  10. S. F. Y. Li
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Li, K., Feng, Z.C., Wee, A.T.S. et al. Several Efficiency Influencing Factors In CdTe/CdS Solar Cells. MRS Online Proceedings Library 485, 197–202 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-485-197

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-485-197

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