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Optimisation of pH of cadmium chloride post-growth-treatment in processing CDS/CDTE based thin film solar cells

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Abstract

The role of Chlorine-based activation in the production of high quality CdS/CdTe photovoltaic have been well discussed and explored with an overlook of the effect of Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) post-growth treatment acidity on the property of the fabricated devices. This work focuses on the optimisation of CdCl2 post-growth treatment pH as it affects both the material and fabricated device properties of all-electrodeposited multilayer glass/FTO/n-CdS/n-CdTe/p-CdTe configuration. CdCl2 treatments with acidity ranging from pH1 to pH4 were explored. The properties of the ensued CdTe layer were explored using optical, morphological, compositional structural and electrical property analysis, while, the effect on fabricated multilayer glass/FTO/n-CdS/n-CdTe/p-CdTe configuration were also explored using both I-V and C-V measurements. Highest improvements in the optical, morphological, compositional and structural were observed at pH2 CdCl2 post-growth treatment with an improvement in absorption edge, grain size, crystallinity and crystallite size. Conductivity type conversions from n-CdTe to p-CdTe, increase in pin-hole density and collapse of the absorption edge were observed after pH1 CdCl2 treatment. The highest fabricated solar cell efficiency of 13% was achieved using pH2 CdCl2 treatment as compared to other pH values explored.

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Acknowledgements

Authors will like to thank members of the SHU Solar Energy Group comprising of Salim Hussein, Olusola Olajide, Azlian Abdul-Manaf and Mohammed Madugu for their contributions to this work. The principal author will also like to thank Sheffield Hallam University, Ekiti State University and TETFund Nigeria for their support.

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

    A. A. Ojo & I. M. Dharmadasa

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Correspondence to A. A. Ojo.

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Ojo, A.A., Dharmadasa, I.M. Optimisation of pH of cadmium chloride post-growth-treatment in processing CDS/CDTE based thin film solar cells. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 28, 7231–7242 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-6404-x

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