ZnTe: A potential interlayer to form low resistance back contacts in CdS/CdTe solar cells

Abstract

We studied the structural and electronic properties of the ZnTe/CdTe(100) interface with reflection high-energy electron diffraction and angle-resolved synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). ZnTe overlayers grown at 300 °C on CdTe(100) were fully strained and pseudomorphic up to ≊16 Å. Beyond this coverage the ZnTe film starts to gradually relax the 6.6% in-plane lattice strain. Complete relaxation is reached at a ZnTe coverage of ∼300 Å. A valence-band offset of ΔEv=0.00±0.05 eV was measured with ARPES at the Γ point. This propitious band lineup may allow for the use of a ZnTe intermediate layer at metal/CdTe structures to induce ohmic back contacts in CdS/CdTe heterojunction solar cells.