Optical and electrical characterizations of highly efficient CdTe thin film solar cells prepared by close-spaced sublimation

Abstract

The effects of the Cu diffusion on the optical and electrical properties of CdTe thin film solar cells prepared by close-spaced sublimation (CSS) were investigated by capacitance–voltage ( C– V) measurement and low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) measurement. C– V measurement revealed that the net acceptor concentration in the CdTe layer was independent of the heat treatment after screen printing of the Cu-doped graphite electrode for Cu diffusion into the CdTe layer, although it greatly affected the solar cell performance. Furthermore, the depth profile of PL spectrum of CdTe layer implies that the heat treatment for Cu diffusion facilitates the formation of low-resistance contact to CdTe through the formation of a heavily doped (p +) region in the CdTe adjacent to the back electrode, but Cu atoms do not act as effective acceptors in the CdTe layer except the region near the back electrode.