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Interfaces in CdTe Solar Cells: From Idealized Concepts to Technology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Wolfram Jaegermann,
Andreas Klein,
Jochen Fritsche,
Daniel Kraft and
Bettina Späth
Wolfram Jaegermann
Affiliation:
Darmstadt University of Technology, Institute of Materials Science, Surface Science Division, Petersenstrasse 23, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Andreas Klein
Affiliation:
Darmstadt University of Technology, Institute of Materials Science, Surface Science Division, Petersenstrasse 23, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Jochen Fritsche
Affiliation:
Darmstadt University of Technology, Institute of Materials Science, Surface Science Division, Petersenstrasse 23, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Daniel Kraft
Affiliation:
Darmstadt University of Technology, Institute of Materials Science, Surface Science Division, Petersenstrasse 23, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Bettina Späth
Affiliation:
Darmstadt University of Technology, Institute of Materials Science, Surface Science Division, Petersenstrasse 23, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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Abstract

In thin film solar cells interfaces between lattice mismatched or dissimilar materials are used for the front and the back contact. A p-i-n device structure should be possible as most simple but ideally suited thin film solar cell. In contrast the interfaces in CdTe solar cells are found to be much more complex containing interdiffused phase boundaries at the front as well as at the back contact. By comparison to non-interdiffused interfaces using contact phases of adapted work functions it can be shown that the contact potentials of the front contact but also of the back contact are dominated by Fermi level pinning. The pinning states are evidently due to dislocation defects at the boundary of CdTe to the contact phases. Based on these results it is concluded that interdiffused phase boundaries or appropriate passivation layers are a precondition for efficient solar cells whenever strongly lattice mismatched or dissimilar materials are combined.

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