Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is a p-type semiconductor used in thin-film solar cells. To achieve high light-to-electricity conversion, annealing in the presence of CdCl2 is essential, but the underlying mechanism is still under debate. Recent evidence suggests that a reduction in the high density of stacking faults in the CdTe grains is a key process that occurs during the chemical treatment. A range of stacking faults, including intrinsic, extrinsic, and twin boundary, are computationally investigated to identify the extended defects that limit performance. The low-energy faults are found to be electrically benign, while a number of higher energy faults, consistent with atomic-resolution micrographs, are predicted to be hole traps with fluctuations in the local electrostatic potential. It is expected that stacking faults will also be important for other thin-film photovoltaic technologies.
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11 August 2014
Research Article|
August 11 2014
Identification of critical stacking faults in thin-film CdTe solar cells
Su-Hyun Yoo;
Su-Hyun Yoo
1Global E3 Institute, Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Yonsei University
, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
2Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies and Department of Chemistry,
University of Bath
, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
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Keith T. Butler;
Keith T. Butler
2Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies and Department of Chemistry,
University of Bath
, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
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Aloysius Soon;
Aloysius Soon
1Global E3 Institute, Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Yonsei University
, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
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Ali Abbas;
Ali Abbas
3Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering,
Loughborough University
, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
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John M. Walls;
John M. Walls
a)
3Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering,
Loughborough University
, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
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Aron Walsh
Aron Walsh
b)
1Global E3 Institute, Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Yonsei University
, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
2Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies and Department of Chemistry,
University of Bath
, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
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Su-Hyun Yoo
1,2
Keith T. Butler
2
Aloysius Soon
1
Ali Abbas
3
John M. Walls
3,a)
Aron Walsh
1,2,b)
1Global E3 Institute, Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Yonsei University
, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
2Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies and Department of Chemistry,
University of Bath
, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
3Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering,
Loughborough University
, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
Appl. Phys. Lett. 105, 062104 (2014)
Article history
Received:
June 06 2014
Accepted:
July 30 2014
Citation
Su-Hyun Yoo, Keith T. Butler, Aloysius Soon, Ali Abbas, John M. Walls, Aron Walsh; Identification of critical stacking faults in thin-film CdTe solar cells. Appl. Phys. Lett. 11 August 2014; 105 (6): 062104. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4892844
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