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Optimisation of CdTe electrodeposition voltage for development of CdS/CdTe solar cells

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Abstract

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films have been deposited on glass/conducting glass (FTO) substrates using low-cost two electrode system and aqueous electrodeposition method. The glass/FTO substrates were used to grow the CdTe layers at different deposition voltages. The structural, electrical, optical and morphological properties of the resulting films have been characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell measurements, optical absorption spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The XRD results indicate that at voltages less than or higher than 1.576 V, crystallinity is poor due to presence of two phases. When CdTe is grown at 1.576 V, the composition is stoichiometric, and the (111) peak has the highest intensity in the XRD diffractogram indicating a high degree of crystallinity. SEM studies showed that all layers had pin-holes and gaps between the grains. These openings seem to be more common in the samples grown at voltages away from the stoichiometric voltage (1.576 V). The linear I–V curves of glass/FTO/CdS/CdTe/Au structures fabricated using stoichiometric CdTe showed efficiency of 10.1 % under AM 1.5 illumination.

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Acknowledgments

The principal author wishes to acknowledge the financial support given by Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil—Nigeria. Mr. S. Creasy from Materials and Engineering Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, UK was also thanked for SEM measurements. The contributions made by Hussein Salim, Nor Azlian Abdul Manaf and Muhammad Madugu are gratefully appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electronic Materials and Sensors Group, Materials and Engineering Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, S1 1WB, UK

    D. G. Diso, F. Fauzi, O. K. Echendu, O. I. Olusola & I. M. Dharmadasa

  2. Department of Physics, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano, PMB 3244, Nigeria

    D. G. Diso

  3. Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy, School of Electrical Systems Engineering, University of Malaysia Perlis, 02600, Arau, Perlis, Malaysia

    F. Fauzi

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  1. D. G. Diso
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  2. F. Fauzi
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  3. O. K. Echendu
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  4. O. I. Olusola
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  5. I. M. Dharmadasa
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Correspondence to F. Fauzi.

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Diso, D.G., Fauzi, F., Echendu, O.K. et al. Optimisation of CdTe electrodeposition voltage for development of CdS/CdTe solar cells. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 27, 12464–12472 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-4844-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-4844-3

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