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Effect of argon pressure on the physical characteristics of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films by close-spaced sublimation

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Abstract

The close-spaced sublimation process (CSS) was used to deposit thin 5.2–6.7 μm CdTe films on the well-scrubbed borosilicate glass in this communication. The pinhole-free CdTe films with good adhesion were produced by adjusting the CSS Ar pressure profile inside the chamber at 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mTorr for 10 min to evaluate the film crystallinity and optoelectronic attributes. The source and substrate temperatures were reserved at 625 °C and 585 °C, respectively, for the deposition of CdTe thin films. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a UV–Vis spectrophotometer are employed to investigate the microstructural and optoelectronic properties of these as-deposited films. The polycrystalline CdTe structure was revealed by XRD research, which revealed sharp features peak at (111), (220), and (311) orientations. The grain development relied on the deposition pressure in a SEM investigation. AFM shows mean roughness (Ra) and RMS roughness (Rq) values in the 199–293 nm and 245–357 nm ranges, respectively. The optical band gap ranged between 1.45 and 1.55 eV according to UV–Vis analyses. The relationship between Urbach energy (EU), skin depth (χ), steepness parameter (σ), refractive index (n), and other optoelectronic parameters with deposition pressure is thoroughly investigated. A correlation between the structural and optoelectronic properties of CdTe thin films and the deposition pressure in the Ar atmosphere of the as-deposited layers has been recognized through this study which is useful for designing and manufacturing CdTe solar cells and implies substantial commercial assurance.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, through the research and development project grant scheme (ref: 39.02.0000.011.14.134.2021.388; dt: 21-09-2021) titled ‘Increasing the photo-conversion efficiency of CdTe-based solar cell by selective Cl-treatment.’

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Afrina Sharmin, Syed Shafquat Mahmood, Munira Sultana, Shahin Aziz, Md Aftab Ali Shaikh & Muhammad Shahriar Bashar

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  1. Afrina Sharmin
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  2. Syed Shafquat Mahmood
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  3. Munira Sultana
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  4. Shahin Aziz
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Contributions

MSB was involved in conceptualization, visualization, and supervision; AS and MS carried out formal analysis; AS undertook the investigation and wrote and prepared the original draft; SSM curated the data; and MAAS and SA were responsible for project administration. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Muhammad Shahriar Bashar.

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Sharmin, A., Mahmood, S.S., Sultana, M. et al. Effect of argon pressure on the physical characteristics of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films by close-spaced sublimation. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 34, 344 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-022-09603-w

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