CdTe thin-film photovoltaics have demonstrated some of the lowest costs of electricity generation owing to its low material cost and ease of manufacturing. However, the full potential of polycrystalline CdTe photovoltaics can only be realized if the open-circuit voltage can be increased beyond 1 V Open-circuit voltage ~850-900 mV has been consistently observed for state-of-the-art polycrystalline CdTe solar cells. Open-circuit voltage of over 1V has been demonstrated for single crystal CdTe devices by doping with Group V elements. Therefore, this study is aimed at understanding behavior of polycrystalline CdTe devices with arsenic doping, its activation and process and performance optimization in order to overcome current voltage limitations in CdTe solar cells.
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Doping engineering in the CdTe thin film solar cells
Abstract Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film solar cells have gained significant attention in the photovoltaic industry due to their high efficiency and low cost. CdTe solar cells have achieved a high‐power conversion efficiency of 23.1%. To further boost the device's performance, it is crucial to systematically tune the doping concentration and carrier concentration, which are dominated by the doping approach and the following dopant activation processes. Both Group I elements (e.g., Cu) and Group V elements (e.g., As) doping have demonstrated high efficiency and utilizing various doping techniques. This review provides an overview of the history of the CdTe thin film technology, doping mechanisms, doping techniques, challenges, and potential solutions to further improve device performance.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2413632
- PAR ID:
- 10608450
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- cMat
- Volume:
- 1
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 3006-2691
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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