The role of CdCl2 in prompting recrystallization, grain growth and interdiffusion between CdS and CdTe layers in physical vapor-deposited CdS/CdTe thin-film solar cells is presented. Several CdTe/CdS thin-film samples with different CdTe film thicknesses were treated in air at 415°C for different times with and without a surface coating of CdCl2. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffractometry and optical absorption. The results show that CdCl2 treatment enhances the recrystallization and diffusion processes, leading to a compositional variation within the CdTe layer due to diffusion of sulfur from the CdS. The highest sulfur concentrations observed after 30 min treatments with CdCl2 at 415°C are near the solubility limit for sulfur in CdTe. The compositional distributions indicated by x-ray diffraction measurements of samples with different CdTe thickness show that the S-rich CdTe1−xSx region lies near the CdTe/CdS interface. A multiple-step mixing process must be inferred to account for the diffraction profiles obtained.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
McCandless et al. (1997) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: