Comparison of Structural Properties of Thermally Evaporated CdTe Thin Films on Different Substrates

Abstract:

The direct energy band gap in the range of ~1.5eV and the high absorption coefficient (~105cm-1) makes Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) a suitable material for fabrication of thin film solar cells. Thin film solar cells based on CdTe (~ 1cm area) achieved efficiency of 15.6% on a laboratory scale. CdTe thin films were deposited by thermal evaporation technique under vacuum 2×10-5mbar on glass and stainless steel (SS) substrates. During deposition substrates temperature was kept same at 200C for all samples. The structural properties were determined by the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns. All samples exhibit polycrystalline nature. Dependence of different structural parameters such as lattice parameter, micro strain, and grain size and dislocation density on thickness was studied. Also the influence of the different substrates on these parameters was investigated. The analysis showed that the preferential orientation of films was dependent on the substrate type.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volumes 510-511)
• Pages: 429-435
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.510-511.429
• Online since: May 2012
• Authors: G.H. Tariq, Muhammad Anis-ur-Rehman
• Keywords: CdTe, Glass Slides, Photovoltaic (PV), Stainless Steel Substrates, Structural Parameter

References

[1] C. Kraft, A. Bromel, S. Schonherr, M. Hadrich, U. Reislohner, P. Schley, G. Gobsch, R. Goldhahn, W. Wesch, H. Metzner: Thin Solid Films (2011), doi: 10. 1016/j. tsf. 2011. 01. 389.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.389

[2] M. Hadrich, H. Metzner, U. Reislohner, and C. Kraft: Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells 95(2011), p.887.

[3] V. Krishnakumar, J. Han, A. Klein, and W. Jaegermann: Thin Solid Films (2010), doi: 10. 1016/j. tsf. 2010. 12. 118.

[4] S. Krishnan, G. Sanjeev, M. Pattabi and X. Mathew: The Open Fuels & Energy Science Journal, 2(2009), p.110.

[5] X. Mathew, J.P. Enriquez, A. Romeo, and A.N. Tiwari: Solar Energy 77(2004), p.831.

[6] S. Qingfeng, L. Dongmin, S. Weimin, W. Linjun, and X. Yiben: Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 7995(2010), p.799531.

[7] S. Chandramohan, R. Sathyamoorthy, S. Lalitha, and S. Senthilarasu: Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells 90(2006), p.686.

DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2005.04.005

[8] A. Romeo, G. Khrypunov, F. Kurdesau, M. Arnold D.L. Batzner, H. Zogg, and A.N. Tiwari: Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells 90(2006), p.3407.

DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2005.04.003

[9] M.A.F. Mendoza, R.C. Perez, G.T. Delgado, J.M. Marın, A.C. Orea, and O.Z. Angel: Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells (2010), doi: 10. 1016/j. solmat. 2010. 07. 023.

[10] S.S. Babkair, A.A. Ansari, N.M. and Al-Twarqi: Materials Chemistry and Physics (2011) doi: 10. 1016/j. matchemphys. 2011. 02. 008.

[11] T.M. Razykov, C.S. Ferekides, D. Morel, E. Stefanakos, H.S. Ullal, and H.M. Upadhyaya: Sol. Energy (2011), doi: 10. 1016/j. solener. 2010. 12. 002.

DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2010.12.002

[12] X. Wu, J.C. Keane, C. DeHart, D.S. Albin, A. Duda, T.A. Gessert, S. Asher, D.H. Levi, and P. Scheldon: In: Proc. of the 17th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, Munich, Germany, (2001), p.995.

[13] D. Batzner, A. Romeo, D. Rudman, M. Kalin, H. Zogg, and A. Tiwari: 1st SWH Int. Conf., (2003), p.56.

[14] M. Sibinski, A. Kalinowski, D. Sek, and A. Iwan: 4th State Conf. on Electronics, (2005), p.493.

[15] B. Schumm, H. Althues , and S. Kaskel: Journal of Crystal Growth 312 (2010), p.2449.

[16] S. Chandramohan, R. Sathyamoorthy, S. Lalitha and S. Senthilarasu: Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells 90 (2006), p.686.

DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2005.04.005

[17] B. D. Cullity and S. R. Stock: Elements of X-Ray Diffraction 3rd Ed., (Prentice Hall, NY (2001).

[18] P. K. Kalita, B. K. Sarma and H. L. Das: Bull. Mater. Sci., Vol. 23 (4) (2000), p.313.

[19] S. Lalitha, R. Sathyamoorthy, S. Senthilarasu, A. Subbarayan and K. Natarajan: Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells 82(2004), p.187.

DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2005.04.015

[20] S. Velumani, Sa.K. Narayandass, and D. Mangalaraj: Semicond. Sci. Technol. 13 (1998), p.1016.

[21] S. Lalitha, R. Sathyamoorthy, S. Senthilarasu, A. Subbarayan, and K. Natarajan: Solar Energy Mater. Solar Cells 82 (2004), p.187.