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Bista SS, Li DB, Awni RA, Song Z, Subedi KK, Shrestha N, Rijal S, Neupane S, Grice CR, Phillips AB, Ellingson RJ, Heben M, Li JV, Yan Y. Effects of Cu Precursor on the Performance of Efficient CdTe Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:38432-38440. [PMID: 34347421 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Copper (Cu) incorporation is a key process for fabricating efficient CdTe-based thin-film solar cells and has been used in CdTe-based solar cell module manufacturing. Here, we investigate the effects of different Cu precursors on the performance of CdTe-based thin-film solar cells by incorporating Cu using a metallic Cu source (evaporated Cu) and ionic Cu sources (solution-processed cuprous chloride (CuCl) and copper chloride (CuCl2)). We find that ionic Cu precursors offer much better control in Cu diffusion than the metallic Cu precursor, producing better front junction quality, lower back-barrier heights, and better bulk defect property. Finally, outperforming power conversion efficiencies of 17.2 and 17.5% are obtained for devices with cadmium sulfide and zinc magnesium oxide as the front window layers, respectively, which are among the highest reported CdTe solar cells efficiencies. Our results suggest that an ionic Cu precursor is preferred as the dopant to fabricate efficient CdTe thin-film solar cells and modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandip S Bista
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Deng-Bing Li
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Rasha A Awni
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Zhaoning Song
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Kamala K Subedi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Niraj Shrestha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Suman Rijal
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Sabin Neupane
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Corey R Grice
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Adam B Phillips
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Randy J Ellingson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Michael Heben
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Jian V Li
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, 70101 Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yanfa Yan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
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Li DB, Song Z, Bista SS, Alfadhili FK, Awni RA, Shrestha N, Rhiannon D, Phillips AB, Heben MJ, Ellingson RJ, Yan F, Yan Y. CuSCN as the Back Contact for Efficient ZMO/CdTe Solar Cells. Materials (Basel) 2020; 13:ma13081991. [PMID: 32344645 PMCID: PMC7215694 DOI: 10.3390/ma13081991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The replacement of traditional CdS with zinc magnesium oxide (ZMO) has been demonstrated as being helpful to boost power conversion efficiency of cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells to over 18%, due to the reduced interface recombination and parasitic light absorption by the buffer layer. However, due to the atmosphere sensitivity of ZMO film, the post treatments of ZMO/CdTe stacks, including CdCl2 treatment, back contact deposition, etc., which are critical for high-performance CdTe solar cells became crucial challenges. To realize the full potential of the ZMO buffer layer, plenty of investigations need to be accomplished. Here, copper thiocyanate (CuSCN) is demonstrated to be a suitable back-contact material with multi-advantages for ZMO/CdTe solar cells. Particularly, ammonium hydroxide as the solvent for CuSCN deposition shows no detrimental impact on the ZMO layer during the post heat treatment. The post annealing temperature as well as the thickness of CuSCN films are investigated. Finally, a champion power conversion efficiency of 16.7% is achieved with an open-circuit voltage of 0.857 V, a short-circuit current density of 26.2 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 74.0%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deng-Bing Li
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
| | - Zhaoning Song
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
| | - Sandip S. Bista
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
| | - Fadhil K. Alfadhili
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
| | - Rasha A. Awni
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
| | - Niraj Shrestha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
| | - DeMilt Rhiannon
- Ottawa Hills Junior/senior high school, Ottawa Hills Local Schools, Ottawa Hills, OH 43606, USA;
| | - Adam B. Phillips
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
| | - Michael J. Heben
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
| | - Randy J. Ellingson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
| | - Feng Yan
- Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA;
| | - Yanfa Yan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC), University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; (D.-B.L.); (Z.S.); (S.S.B.); (F.K.A.); (R.A.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.P.); (M.J.H.); (R.J.E.)
- Correspondence:
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