Effect of Substrate Temperature on the Photovoltaic Properties of a CdS/CdTe Solar Cell

Abstract

Structural and electrical properties of CdTe thin films prepared by the conventional vacuum evaporation method were studied. Photovoltaic properties of thin-film CdS (chemical-solution-deposited)/CdTe (vacuum-evaporated) solar cells were also investigated. The crystal structure of CdTe films deposited on the CdS films at the substrate temperature of 300∼520°C was of the zincblende type with a preferential orientation of the (111) plane parallel to the substrate. The dark resistivity of the CdTe films deposited on the glass substrates was about 10 7 Ωcm. Illumination caused the resistivity decrease of the films by about two orders of magnitude. The conversion efficiency of the CdS/CdTe solar cells increased with increasing substrate temperature. The present thin-film CdS/CdTe solar cell showed a conversion efficiency of greater than 5%.