Scientific Achievement
A CdTexSe1-x alloy formed during CdTe deposition shows photoactivity that depends on the phase ; wurtizite with >30 at. % Se or zincblende with < 30 at. % Se.
Significance and Impact
Bandgap-graded CdTe-based solar cells incorporating a CdTexSe1-x alloy layer show a high potential for increasing the power conversion efficiency of CdTe solar cells. This work reveals the dependence of photoactivity on the phase/structure and composition of CdTexSe1-x alloy layers that form during the CdTe deposition process, which can be used to dramatically improve solar cells.
Research Details
–Correlative atom probe tomography (APT), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electron beam induced current (EBIC) were used to directly reveal the correlation between crystalline structure, composition, and photoactivity of the CdTexSe1-x layer.
J. D. Poplawsky, et. al. Nature Commun. 7, 12537 (2016). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12537
