Surface Oxidation Of Polycrystalline Cadmium Telluride Thin-Films For Schottky-Barrier Junction Solar-Cells

    Authors

    X. Yi;J. J. Liou

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Solid-State Electron.

    Keywords

    CDTE; Engineering, Electrical & Electronic; Physics, Applied; Physics, ; Condensed Matter

    Abstract

    Polycrystalline CdTe thin films grown on graphite or tungsten-coated graphite substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) were exposed to the air at room temperature in a natural atmosphere of about 60% air humidity for 6 months. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) of the films indicate that a tellurium dioxide (TeO2) overlayer has formed from this process. The effects of such an overlayer on the electrical property of polycrystalline CdTe-based Schottky barrier junction solar cells have also been discussed for the first time. It is shown that a solar cell formed on a CdTe film with TeO2 overlayer has considerably higher open-circuit voltage and fill factor than that formed on a CdTe film without TeO2 overlayer. Our study further indicates that using a polycrystalline CdTe film which is thermally oxidized at above room temperature (100-400 degrees C) does not provide any improvement on the solar cell efficiency.

    Journal Title

    Solid-State Electronics

    Volume

    38

    Issue/Number

    6

    Publication Date

    1-1-1995

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1151

    Last Page

    1154

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:A1995RA46000005

    ISSN

    0038-1101

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