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Effect of Microstructure of Sintered CdS on the Photovoltaic Properties of Polycrystalline CdS / CdTe Solar Cells
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1987
Year
EngineeringOrganic Solar CellPhotovoltaic DevicesElectronic PropertiesPhotovoltaic SystemPhotovoltaicsSemiconductorsElectronic DevicesSintered FilmsSolar Cell StructuresSintered CdsSolar Thermal EnergySolar Energy UtilisationMaterials ScienceElectrical EngineeringSolar Cell EfficiencySolar PowerNanocrystalline MaterialPhotovoltaic PropertiesApplied PhysicsThin FilmsSolar CellsSolar Cell Materials
Sintered films with different microstructures and electronic properties have been prepared by changing sintering conditions and by heat‐treatments after sintering. All‐polycrystalline solar cells have been fabricated by coating a slurry on the sintered films and sintering at 625°C for 1h in nitrogen, which increases the density of the films and leads to the formation of a n‐p junction. As the average grain size of the sintered layer becomes larger, increases are found in film transmittance and, hence, the short‐circuit current, whereas a decrease in the reverse saturation current results from the better microstructure of the junction. Both of these effects lead to improved solar cell efficiency. The presence of residual in the sintered films, on the other hand, causes the formation of a thick layer of at the compositional interface and a deep n‐p junction in the layer that limit the solar efficiency.