Open AccessA study of back contacts of CdTe thin film solar cells
Author(s) -
Zihe Li,
Jun Zheng,
Wei Li,
Liang Feng,
Wei Cai,
Yuanqiang Cai,
Jingquan Zhang,
Bing Li,
Zhi Li,
Wu Li-Li,
Wenwu Wang
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
wuli xuebao
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.199
H-Index - 47
ISSN - 1000-3290
DOI - 10.7498/aps.56.5548
Subject(s) - cadmium telluride photovoltaics , materials science , sublimation (psychology) , thin film , scanning electron microscope , crystallite , layer (electronics) , etching (microfabrication) , optoelectronics , analytical chemistry (journal) , nanotechnology , composite material , metallurgy , chemistry , psychology , psychotherapist , chromatography
We have prepared polycrystalline CdTe thin films by close-spaced sublimationthen the film surface was been etched by nitric-phosphoric acid. After etchingthe grain boundaries of CdTe thin films are broadened and it could be seen clearly that the surface became polished and more smooth, when observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). After NP etchinghighly conductive Te-rich layer is formed on the surface of CdTe thin filmas detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Four types of back-contact layers, including Cu, Cu/ZnTeCu, ZnTeCu and ZnTe/ZnTeCu were deposited respectively on the etched CdTe thin filmand the influences on the solar cells performance were compared. Our studies showed that the performance of CdTe solar cells with ZnTe/ZnTeCu complex back-contact layer was better than those with other back-contact layersand the highest conversion efficiency of 13.38% has been obtained for CdTe polycrystalline thin film solar cells of 0.5cm2 size.