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Characterization of electrochemical photovoltaic cells using polycrystalline CdSe and CdTe electrodes grown by a liquid metal-vapor reaction

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Abstract

Polycrystalline CdSe and CdTe layers were fabricated by putting liquid Cd in contact with Se or Te vapors under constant Ar flow. The crystalline structure, surface properties, and semiconducting properties of these materials have been determined. Both materials were found to be n-type semiconductors. The results show that, under the proper experimental conditions, the liquid metal-vapor reaction enables the synthesis of polycrystalline CdSe photoelectrodes with a 6.9% energy conversion efficiency when used in an electrochemical photovoltaic cell under 80 mW/cm2 of white light illumination. This efficiency rates amongst the highest ones measured under similar conditions using polycrystalline CdSe. These CdSe layers have a majority charge carrier density of ND = 2.6 × 1017 cm−3 and possess a highly textured surface which is assumed to be mainly responsible for the high photovoltaic efficiency. The highly textured CdTe samples obtained by this process, however, show a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of only 0.2%, and this is seen to be mainly due to their high majority charge carrier density of ND = 7.8 × 1019 cm−3.

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Author notes

  1. Zhitsing Deng

    Present address: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A1, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratories for Inorganic Materials, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Bld. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada

    Zhitsing Deng, Michelina Cinquino & Marcus F. Lawrence

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  1. Zhitsing Deng
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  2. Michelina Cinquino
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  3. Marcus F. Lawrence
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Deng, Z., Cinquino, M. & Lawrence, M.F. Characterization of electrochemical photovoltaic cells using polycrystalline CdSe and CdTe electrodes grown by a liquid metal-vapor reaction. Journal of Materials Research 6, 1293–1299 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1991.1293

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1991.1293

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