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Influence of CuxS back contact on CdTe thin film solar cells

Zhi Lei, Lianghuan Feng, Guanggen Zeng, Wei Li, Jingquan Zhang, Lili Wu and Wenwu Wang

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 Corresponding author: Lei Zhi, leizhi328@yahoo.com.cn

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Abstract: We present a detailed study on CuxS polycrystalline thin films prepared by chemical bath method and utilized as back contact material for CdTe solar cells. The characteristics of the films deposited on Si-substrate are studied by XRD. The results show that as-deposited CuxS thin film is in an amorphous phase while after annealing, samples are in polycrystalline phases with increasing temperature. The thickness of CuxS thin films has great impact on the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells. When the thickness of the film is about 75 nm the performance of CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells is found to be the best. The energy conversion efficiency can be higher than 12.19%, the filling factor is higher than 68.82% and the open-circuit voltage is more than 820 mV.

Key words: CdTe solar cellback contactCuxS thin film



[1]
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[2]
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[3]
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[4]
Lin H, Irfan, Xia W, et al. MoOx back contact for CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells:preparation, device characteristics, and stability. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 2012, 99:349 doi: 10.1088/0022-3735/9/11/032/meta;jsessionid=9568DACD4BF392FCDD46F90C9FE1654D.c1.iopscience.cld.iop.org
[5]
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[6]
Sama M, Bayatib M R, Mojtahedib M, et al. Growth of Cu2S/CdS nano-layered photovoltaic junctions for solar cell applications. Appl Surf Sci, 2010, 257:1449 doi: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2010.08.066
[7]
Chu T L, Chu S S, Schultz N, et al. Solution-grown cadmium-sulfide films for photovoltaic devices. Electrochem Soc, 1992, 139:2443 doi: 10.1149/1.2221246
[8]
Romeo N, Bosio A, Romeo A. An innovative process suitable to produce high-efficiency CdTe/CdS thin-film modules. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2010, 94:2 doi: 10.1016/j.solmat.2009.06.001
[9]
Han J, Spanheimer C, Haindl G, et al. Optimized chemical bath deposited CdS layers for the improvement of CdTe solar cells. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 2011, 95:816 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927024810006264
Fig. 1.  XRD patterns of Cu$_{x}$S thin films on glass substrates before and after annealing.

Fig. 2.  $\eta$, $J_{\rm sc}$, FF and $V_{\rm oc}$ as functions of the thickness of Cu$_{x}$S film.

Fig. 3.  $I$-$V$ response of samples with different thicknesses of Cu$_{x}$S films.

Fig. 4.  $Q$-$E$ relation of samples with different thicknesses of Cu$_{x}$S films.

Fig. 5.  $J$-$V$ characteristics of CdTe solar cell in the presence of a Cu$_{x}$S thin film with a thickness of 75 nm.

Table 1.   Work-function of Cu$_x$S with different film thicknesses.

[1]
Wu X, Keane J C, Dhere R G, et al. 16.5%-efficient CdS/CdTe polycrystalline thin-film solar cell. Proceedings of the 17th IEEE European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, Munich, Germany, 2001:995 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X04001434
[2]
First Solar Inc. Website at:http://www.firstsolar.com/
[3]
Sites J, Pan J. Strategies to increase CdTe solar-cell voltage. Thin Solid Films, 2007, 515:6099 doi: 10.1016/j.tsf.2006.12.147
[4]
Lin H, Irfan, Xia W, et al. MoOx back contact for CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells:preparation, device characteristics, and stability. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 2012, 99:349 doi: 10.1088/0022-3735/9/11/032/meta;jsessionid=9568DACD4BF392FCDD46F90C9FE1654D.c1.iopscience.cld.iop.org
[5]
Dobson K D, Visoly-Fisher I, Hodes G, et al. Stability of CdTe/CdS thin-film solar cells. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2000, 62:295 doi: 10.1016/S0927-0248(00)00014-3
[6]
Sama M, Bayatib M R, Mojtahedib M, et al. Growth of Cu2S/CdS nano-layered photovoltaic junctions for solar cell applications. Appl Surf Sci, 2010, 257:1449 doi: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2010.08.066
[7]
Chu T L, Chu S S, Schultz N, et al. Solution-grown cadmium-sulfide films for photovoltaic devices. Electrochem Soc, 1992, 139:2443 doi: 10.1149/1.2221246
[8]
Romeo N, Bosio A, Romeo A. An innovative process suitable to produce high-efficiency CdTe/CdS thin-film modules. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2010, 94:2 doi: 10.1016/j.solmat.2009.06.001
[9]
Han J, Spanheimer C, Haindl G, et al. Optimized chemical bath deposited CdS layers for the improvement of CdTe solar cells. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 2011, 95:816 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927024810006264
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    Received: 21 May 2012 Revised: 04 July 2012 Online: Published: 01 January 2013

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      Zhi Lei, Lianghuan Feng, Guanggen Zeng, Wei Li, Jingquan Zhang, Lili Wu, Wenwu Wang. Influence of CuxS back contact on CdTe thin film solar cells[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(1): 014008. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/1/014008 Z Lei, L H Feng, G G Zeng, W Li, J Q Zhang, L L Wu, W W Wang. Influence of CuxS back contact on CdTe thin film solar cells[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(1): 014008. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/1/014008.Export: BibTex EndNote
      Citation:
      Zhi Lei, Lianghuan Feng, Guanggen Zeng, Wei Li, Jingquan Zhang, Lili Wu, Wenwu Wang. Influence of CuxS back contact on CdTe thin film solar cells[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(1): 014008. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/1/014008

      Z Lei, L H Feng, G G Zeng, W Li, J Q Zhang, L L Wu, W W Wang. Influence of CuxS back contact on CdTe thin film solar cells[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(1): 014008. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/1/014008.
      Export: BibTex EndNote

      Influence of CuxS back contact on CdTe thin film solar cells

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/1/014008
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      • Corresponding author: Lei Zhi, leizhi328@yahoo.com.cn
      • Received Date: 2012-05-21
      • Revised Date: 2012-07-04
      • Published Date: 2013-01-01

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