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Effect of annealing temperature and \(\hbox {CdCl}_{2}\) treatment on the photo-conversion efficiency of \(\hbox {CdTe/Zn}_{0.1}\) \(\hbox {Cd}_{0.9}\)S thin film solar cells

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Abstract

We report the effects of annealing in conjunction with \(\hbox {CdCl}_{2}\) treatment on the photovoltaic properties of \(\hbox {CdTe/Zn}_{0.1}\hbox {Cd}_{0.9}\)S thin film solar cells. CdTe layer is subjected to dry \(\hbox {CdCl}_{2}\) treatment by thermal evaporation method and subsequently, heat treated in air using a tube furnace from 400 to \(500{^{\circ }}\hbox {C}\). AFM and XRD results show improved grain size and crystallographic properties of the CdTe film with dry \(\hbox {CdCl}_{2}\) treatment. This recrystallization and grain growth of the CdTe layer upon \(\hbox {CdCl}_{2}\) treatment translates into improved photo-conversion efficiencies of \(\hbox {CdTe/Zn}_{0.1}\hbox {Cd}_{0.9}\)S cell. The results of dry \(\hbox {CdCl}_{2}\) treatment were compared with conventional wet \(\hbox {CdCl}_{2}\) treatment. Photo-conversion efficiency of 5.2% is achieved for dry \(\hbox {CdCl}_{2}\)-treated cells in comparison with 2.4% of wet-treated cell at heat treatment temperature of \(425{^{\circ }}\hbox {C}\).

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India, for providing the financial support to carry out this piece of work (grant no. SR/FTP/ETA-1/2012).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Noida, 201308, India

    Sonal Singhal

  2. Department of Physics, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, 248007, India

    Amit Kumar Chawla

  3. Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Noida, 201304, India

    Hari Om Gupta

  4. Institute Instrumentation Center, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, India

    Ramesh Chandra

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  1. Sonal Singhal
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Correspondence to Sonal Singhal.

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Singhal, S., Chawla, A.K., Gupta, H.O. et al. Effect of annealing temperature and \(\hbox {CdCl}_{2}\) treatment on the photo-conversion efficiency of \(\hbox {CdTe/Zn}_{0.1}\) \(\hbox {Cd}_{0.9}\)S thin film solar cells. Bull Mater Sci 41, 159 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12034-018-1658-3

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