Effect of “CdCl₂ Treatment” on Properties of CdTe-Based Solar Cells Prepared by Physical Vapor Deposition and Close-Spaced Sublimation Methods

Abstract

CdTe is regarded as one of the most promising materials for fabricating CdTe/CdS thin film solar cells with efficiencies up to 16.5%. In this paper we present a comparative analysis of CdTe-based solar cells fabricated by physical vapor deposition (PVD) and close-spaced sublimation (CSS) methods. The structural properties of CdTe base layers and the output parameters of CdS/CdTe solar cells are presented, and the influence of “CdCl2-treatment” on these properties are discussed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were used in the studies.

Imaging CdCl2 defect passivation and formation in polycrystalline CdTe films by cathodoluminescence

“…Annealing of CdTe thin films in CdCl 2 atmosphere provides an essential boost to CdTe device efficiency. [11][12][13][14][15] While much is known about CdCl 2 's transformative effects-e.g., recrystallization, grain growth, and grain boundary passivation [12,[16][17][18][19]-much can still be learned at a more fundamental level.…”