Long-wavelength IR spectroscopy of ZnTe/CdTe superlattices with quantum dots

This paper reports on the results of investigations of the lattice IR reflection spectra of ZnTe/CdTe multilayer superlattices with CdTe quantum dots grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on a GaAs substrate with a CdTe buffer layer. It is found that the lattice IR reflection spectra of the studied structures exhibit three intense bands associated with vibrational excitations in the GaAs substrate, ZnTe barriers separating the layers with CdTe quantum dots, and the CdTe buffer layer. An analysis of the reflection bands and shifts in the phonon frequencies has revealed internal elastic stresses both in the surface layer of the GaAs substrate and in the ZnTe barriers. It is established that elastic stresses undergo relaxation in the separating ZnTe layers with an increase in their thickness. An additional mode observed in the reflection spectra is explained by manifestations of ZnTe-like vibrations in the ZnCdTe alloy due to interdiffusion of Cd and Zn at the interfaces.     

Resistance of nanocrystalline vis-à-vis microcrystalline Fe–Cr alloys to environmental degradation and challenges to their synthesis

This paper presents a hypothesis and its experimental validation that a nanostructure can bring about dramatic improvements in the oxidation/corrosion resistance of iron–chromium alloys. More specifically, a nanocrystalline Fe–10 wt% Cr alloy was found to undergo oxidation at a rate that was an order of magnitude lower than its microcrystalline counterpart. Importantly, the oxidation resistance of nanocrystalline Fe–10 wt% Cr alloy was comparable with that of the common corrosion-resistant microcrystalline stainless steels (having 18–20 wt% chromium). The findings have the potential of leading to the next generation of oxidation-resistant alloys. However, due to poor thermal stability of nanocrystalline structure, synthesis/processing of such alloys is a challenge. Discs of nanocrystalline Fe–10% Cr alloy were produced by ball-milling of Fe and Cr powders and compaction of the powder without considerable grain growth by processing within a suitable time–temperature window. The paper also presents a theoretical treatise to arrive at the minimum chromium content required for establishing a protective layer of chromium oxide in an Fe–Cr alloy of a given nanometric grain size.     

Analysis of Bulk and Interface Phenomena in CdTe/CdS Thin-Film Solar Cells

CdTe layers have been grown on CdS layers to produce thin-film photovoltaic devices. Because of the large lattice mismatch of roughly 10%, CdTe and CdS can only be joined at the expense of a high density of misfit dislocations. Additionally, after deposition the CdTe layer contains submicrometer sized, [111] oriented, columnar grains with a high density of stacking faults and microtwins resulting in a poor electrical performance of the p-n junction. The performance of these cells can be improved by depositing a CdCl₂ layer on the CdTe absorber layer and subsequent annealing of the stack in air. This treatment induces interdiffusion of S and Te across the interface, which results in a better lattice match. During this anneal, CdTe is subject to grain growth, recovery and recrystallization. In samples annealed for different durations after different amounts of CdCl₂ were applied, grain growth is completed during the first minutes of annealing. Subsequent diffusion of Cl is detected along the CdTe grain boundaries. The presence of Cl enhances the recrystallization of the CdTe layer, starting from the CdTe surface, while recovery of the CdTe layer, mostly by the reduction of microtwins, takes place at the interface. The simultaneous occurrence of recrystallization and recovery leads to a preferred alignment of grain boundaries in CdTe parallel to the interface. Electron beam induced current measurements show the detrimental effect of these grain boundaries on the charge carrier collection efficiency of the cell. Based on these results, a modified growth procedure is proposed.     

Characterization of Cd1?xMgxTe film and plasma diagnostic studies by optical emission spectroscopy during sputtering

Cd_1−x Mg _x Te is an attractive II–VI semiconductor alloy candidate for obtaining energy gaps wider than 1.5 eV of CdTe needed for the top junction absorber layer in a polycrystalline thin-film tandem solar cell. We have shown that these alloy films can easily be prepared by sputtering, however, the sputtering rate is substantially lower than for CdTe and the attainable cell performance has been poor, both before and after activation treatments with chlorine-containing vapors. In this work we have applied optical emission spectroscopy (OES) using selected peaks of ArII, CdII, MgI, TeII and correlated the results with crystallographic and morphological characteristics of the deposited films. Results were obtained as a function of rf sputter power and sputter gas pressure.     

Comparison between atomic layer epitaxy grown and molecular beam epitaxy grown CdTe/MnTe superlattices: a structural and optical study

Atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) is investigated for the growth of CdTe/MnTe superlattices. A systematic structural characterization (X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy), together with a magneto-optical study (reflectivity and photoluminescence), demonstrate that: for MnTe ALE, all deposited Mn atoms are incorporated, so that no autoregulated growth mode can be obtained, in contrast with CdTe ALE, atomic layer epitaxy allows well-controlled CdTe/MnTe superlattices to be achieved but does not prevent the exchange between Cd and Mn atoms which occurs at the interfaces between CdTe and MnTe, as observed in CdTe/MnTe superlattices grown by conventional molecular beam epitaxy.     

Study of rectifying and photoelectric properties of barrier structures based on vanadium-doped cadmium telluride

Structures similar to Schottky diodes are prepared by the thermal evaporation of chromium on high-resistivity cadmium telluride substrates doped by vanadium (CdTe: V) to a concentration of 5×10¹⁸ cm⁻³. The current-voltage and spectral characteristics of the Cr/CdTe: V barrier structures are studied, and their rectifying properties are evaluated.     

Short-circuit current improvement in CdTe solar cells by combining a ZnO buffer layer and a solution back contact

Conventional CdTe solar cells have a CdS window layer, in which an absorption loss of photons with more than 2.4 eV occurs through the CdS layer. A thinner CdS layer was applied to enhance light transmission and a ZnO buffer layer with a band gap of 3.3 eV was introduced to suppress shunting through the thinner CdS window layer. A 100-nm thick ZnO layer sputter-deposited at 300 °C had uniform coverage on a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) after a subsequent high-temperature process. The ZnO layer was effective in preventing shunting through the CdS window layer so that the open-circuit voltage and fill factor of the CdTe solar cells were recovered and the short-circuit current was enhanced over that of the conventional CdTe solar cell. In the ZnO/CdS/CdTe configuration, the short-circuit current was further improved throughout the visible wavelength region by replacing the Cu-metal contact with a Cu solution contact. As a result the short-circuit current from 21.7 to 26.1 mA/cm² and the conversion efficiency of the CdTe solar cell increased from 12 to 15% without antireflective coating. Our result indicates that the Cu solution back contact is a critical factor for achieving a higher cell efficiency in addition to ZnO buffer layer.     

ZnS/CdS复合窗口层对CdTe太阳能电池短波光谱响应的影响

采用磁控溅射法制备了ZnS/CdS复合窗口层,并将其应用于CdTe太阳能电池。对所制备薄膜的形貌和结构等进行了研究。测试了具有不同窗口层的CdTe太阳电池的量子效率和光Ⅰ-Ⅴ特性,分析了ZnS薄膜制备条件对CdTe电池器件性能影响;研究了CdS薄膜厚度和ZnS/CdS复合窗口层对短波区透过率以及CdTe太阳电池的光谱响应的影响。着重研究了具有ZnS/CdS复合窗口层的CdTe太阳电池的短波光谱响应。结果表明,CdS窗口层厚度从100 nm减至50 nm后,其对短波区光子透过率平均提高了18.3%,CdTe太阳电池短波区光谱响应平均提高了27.6%。衬底温度250 ℃条件下制备的ZnS晶粒尺寸小于室温下制备的ZnS。具有ZnS/CdS复合窗口层的CdTe电池中,采用衬底温度250 ℃沉积ZnS薄膜来制备窗口层的电池器件,其性能要优于室温下沉积ZnS制备窗口层的电池器件。这说明晶粒尺寸的大小对电子输运有一定影响。在相同厚度CdS的前提下,具有ZnS/CdS复合窗口层的CdTe电池比具有CdS窗口层在短波的光谱响应提高了约2%。这说明ZnS/CdS复合窗口层能够做到减少对短波光子的吸收,从而使更多的光子被CdTe电池的吸收层吸收。     

Size-dependent carrier dynamics in self-assembled CdTe/ZnTe quantum dots

We investigate size-dependent carrier dynamics in self-assembled CdTe/ZnTe quantum dots (QDs) grown using molecular beam epitaxy and atomic layer epitaxy. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra show that the excitonic peak corresponding to transitions from the ground electronic subband to ground heavy-hole band in CdTe/ZnTe QDs shifts to a lower energy with increasing ZnTe buffer thicknesses. This shift of the PL peak can be attributed to size variation of the CdTe QDs. In particular, carrier dynamics in CdTe QDs grown on various ZnTe buffer layer thicknesses is studied using time-resolved PL measurements. As a result, the decay time of CdTe QDs is shown to increase with increasing ZnTe buffer layer thicknesses due to the reduction of the exciton oscillator strength in the larger QDs.     

磁控溅射Cl掺杂CdTe薄膜的孪晶结构与电学性质

CdTe用作薄膜太阳能电池吸收层需要经过氯处理才能得到高的光电转换效率,其中Cl原子的作用机理仍然没有完全被理解.实验发现Cl原子主要偏聚在CdTe晶界处,对晶界有钝化作用,而有第一性原理计算认为Cl原子掺入CdTe晶格能够引入浅能级提高光电转换效率.为了验证Cl原子掺杂是否对CdTe的光电转换效率有益,本文通过磁控溅射制备了100 ppm(ppm=1/1000000)Cl原子掺杂的CdTe(CdTe:Cl)薄膜并研究了薄膜的晶体结构与电学性质,同时对比了正常氯处理的无掺杂CdTe薄膜与CdTe:Cl薄膜之间的性质区别.实验发现Cl原子掺杂会在CdTe:Cl中形成大量仅由几个原子层构成的孪晶,电子和空穴在CdTe:Cl薄膜中没有分离的传导通道,而在氯处理后的CdTe薄膜中电子沿晶界传导,空穴沿晶粒内部传导.磁控溅射沉积的CdTe:Cl多晶薄膜属于高阻材料,退火前载流子迁移率很低,退火后载流子浓度降低到本征数量级,电阻率提高.CdTe:Cl薄膜电池效率远低于正常氯处理的无掺杂CdTe薄膜电池效率.磁控溅射制备的非平衡重掺杂CdTe:Cl多晶薄膜不适合用作薄膜太阳能电池的吸收层.     

Polarity inversion in polar-nonpolar-polar heterostructures

We have observed an epilayer-thickness-dependent polarity inversion for the growth of CdTe on Sb(Bi)/CdTe(111)B. For films with Sb(Bi) thicknesses of less than 40 A (15 A), the CdTe layer shows a B (Te-terminated) face, but it switches to an A (Cd-terminated) face for thicker layers. On the other hand, a CdTe layer grown on Bi(Sb)/CdTe(111)A always shows the A face regardless of Sb or Bi layer thicknesses. In order to address the observations we have performed ab initio calculations, which suggest that the polarity of a polar material on a nonpolar one results from the binding energy difference between the two possible surface configurations.     

Performance improvement in CdTe solar cells by modifying the CdS/CdTe interface with a Cd treatment

The performance of n-CdS/p-CdTe solar cells is often degraded under light soaking or thermal stress, even though the technology of CdTe solar cells is close to a commercial level. The Cu diffusion from a Cu back contact to a CdS window layer might degrade the cell's performance. To prevent the Cu diffusion, a very-thin intrinsic CdTe layer was introduced at the n-CdS/p-CdTe interface by depositing a very-thin Cd metal layer on the CdS film and converting the Cd metal into intrinsic CdTe during p-CdTe deposition at high temperature. By the Cd treatment on CdS surface, pinholes or voids were eliminated at the CdS/CdTe and the intermixing of Te and S at the interface was much suppressed. The depletion width was much increased and the intensity of LTPL peak was increased. The analysis suggested that an intrinsic CdTe interlayer was formed and the surface recombination rate was suppressed by the intrinsic interlayer. As a result, the short circuit current of the CdTe solar cell was significantly increased due the increased current gain in the blue wavelength region. The thermal stability of the CdTe solar cell was also greatly improved and the Cu diffusion was retarded by the intrinsic CdTe interlayer at the n-CdS/p-CdTe.     

Influence of the thickness of CdTe and ZnTe layers on cathodoluminescence spectra of strained CdTe/ZnTe superlattices with quantum-dot layers

The influence of the thickness of ZnTe barrier layers on the cathodoluminescence spectra of strained CdTe/ZnTe superlattices containing layers of quantum dots with an average lateral size of approximately 3 nm has been investigated. In samples with thick barrier layers (30, 15 nm), the cathodoluminescence spectra of quantum dots exhibit one band with a maximum at E = 2.03 eV. It has been revealed that, at a barrier layer thickness of ∼3 nm, the luminescence band is split. However, at a ZnTe layer thickness of 1.5 nm, the luminescence spectrum also contains one band. The experimental results have been interpreted with allowance made for the influence of elastic biaxial strains on the energy states of light and heavy holes in the CdTe and ZnTe layers. For the CdTe/ZnTe heterostructure with quantum dots in which the thickness of the deposited CdTe layer is 1.5 monolayers and the thickness of the barrier layer is 100 monolayers, the cathodoluminescence spectrum contains 2LO-phonon replicas. This effect has been explained by the resonance between two-phonon LO states and the difference between the energy states in the electronic spectrum of wetting layer fragments.     

Material transport and degradation behavior of SOFC interconnects

The SOFC interconnect materials, both lanthanum chromite based oxides and Fe–Cr ferritic alloys, are discussed from the viewpoint of material transport which causes the degradation in conductivity or chemical stability. The controlling factors, such as effect of oxygen chemical potential gradient, interaction with other cell components, and surrounding gaseous atmospheres are evaluated. The role grain boundary is important in the transport of metal components in oxide materials such as lanthanum chromites, or oxide scales on alloy. The diffusivity of metal components in alloy is much faster, which causes the interdiffusion on nickel and chromium between alloy and anode current collector. The reaction of alloy and sealing materials would be more significant, since the chromium component in alloy easily reacts with alkaline earth components in sealing materials. The slight amount of water vapor in air may greatly enhance the chromium vaporization rate from chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃).     

Understanding the junction degradation mechanism in CdS/CdTe solar cells using a Cd-deficient CdTe layer

It is known that CdTe solar cells are often degraded under solar illumination. But the degradation mechanism is not fully proved because it does not appear consistently. The junction degradation in CdS/CdTe solar cells was investigated using a CdTe layer with Cd deficient composition, where Cd vacancy concentration is high. It was found that the Cu atoms easily filled the Cd vacancies in CdTe and transport to junction area from Cu back contact. PL measurement and spectral quantum efficiency measurement showed that the incorporation of Cu atoms in CdS forms a defect energy level at 1.55 eV below the conduction band in CdS. As a result, the junction built-in potential is decreased and light penetration into CdTe absorber is shielded. For reliable and stable CdTe cells, the formation of Cd vacancy in CdTe should be avoided by careful control of CdTe.     

First-principles study of the band gap tuning and doping control in CdSe_xTe_(1-x) alloy for high efficiency solar cell

CdTe is one of the leading materials for low cost, high efficiency thin-film solar cells with a nearly ideal band gap of 1.48 eV. However, its solar to electricity power conversion efficiency(PCE) is hindered by the relatively low open circuit voltage(VOC) due to intrinsic defect related issues. Here, we propose that alloying CdTe with CdSe could possibly improve the solar cell performance by reducing the "ideal" band gap of CdTe to gain more short-circuit current from long-wavelength absorption without sacrificing much VOC. Using the hybrid functional calculation, we find that the minimum band gap of the CdTe_(1-x)Se_x alloy can be reduced from 1.48 eV at x = 0 to 1.39 eV at x = 0.32, and most of the change come from the lowering of the conduction band minimum. We also show that the formation of the alloy can improve the p-type doping of CuCdimpurity based on the reduced effective formation energy and nearly constant effective transition energy level, thus possibly enhance VOC, thus PCE.     

Quantitative AES of binary alloys: A comparison between handbook and pseudo-first principles corrections

Quantitative Auger electron spectroscopy of a number of binary alloys was studied. A pseudo-first principles correction scheme was applied to series of chromium/iron, chromium/nickel, and copper/gold alloys. Peak-to-peak height ratios of differentiated spectra were corrected for elemental differences in ionization cross section, Auger transition probability, atomic density, electron escape depth, backscattering factor, and sputter yield. These corrections changed the original ratio by factors ranging from 1.12 (for the chromium/iron series with a 10 kV primary electron beam) to 4.63 (for the copper/gold series with a 5 kV primary beam). The calculated surface concentrations were compared to wet chemistry bulk concentrations and in all cases, this first principles correction was an improvement over using uncorrected peak height ratios for concentration determination. For a $\text{50}\text{50}$ at% alloy in each series, the corrected data error for the chromium/iron alloy was 15%, for the chromium/nickel alloy was 2%, and for the copper/gold alloy was 36%. In all series except the chromium/iron system, concentrations obtained using this method had a smaller error than concentrations obtained using sensitivity factors from the Handbook of Auger Electron Spectroscopy.     

Morphology and composition of nanoscale surface oxides on Fe–20Cr–18Ni{1 1 1} austenitic stainless steel

Surface oxidation ranging from initial stages to the onset of passive oxide layer formation have been investigated on Fe–20Cr–18Ni{1 1 1} single crystal surface by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Surface segregation of the alloying elements and the morphology of the surface oxide nanostructure were characterized quantitatively by inelastic electron background analysis. Our results demonstrate that by increasing the oxidation temperature the relative concentrations of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ cations increase due to their enhanced mobility. Higher temperature also improves the mobility of chromium, thus enhancing its segregation to the oxygen-rich surface and thereby reinforcing the passive layer on the alloy. This is in agreement with the results showing the sudden decrease in oxide film thickness at the oxidation temperatures exceeding 600 K. Additionally, a pronounced segregation of metallic nickel is found in the interface between the surface oxide layer and the bulk alloy.     

基于氧化镍背接触缓冲层碲化镉薄膜太阳电池的研究

采用电子束蒸发法制备了NiO薄膜,并对其作为碲化镉薄膜太阳电池背接触缓冲层材料进行了相关研究.NiO缓冲层的加入使得碲化镉太阳电池开路电压显著增大.通过X射线光电子能谱测试得到的NiO/CdTe界面能带图表明NiO和CdTe的能带匹配度很好.NiO是宽禁带P型半导体材料,在电池背接触处形成背场,减少了电子在背表面处的复合,从而提高电池开路电压.通过优化NiO薄膜厚度,制备得到转换效率为12.2%、开路电压为789 mV的碲化镉太阳电池.研究证实NiO是用来制备高转换效率、高稳定性碲化镉薄膜太阳电池的一种极有前景的缓冲层材料.     

Numerical simulation of ultra-thin CdTe solar cells with a buffer layer of MoOx in the backwall configuration

The software of Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS) is used to investigate the performance of ultra-thin CdTe solar cells in the backwall configuration (glass/ITO/MoO_x/CdTe/CdS/SnO₂/Ag). The backwall structure utilizes ultra-thin CdTe absorber layer instead of CdS film facing light illumination, which eliminates the absorption of CdS in short-wavelength region and improves the blue response of CdTe. A buffer layer of MoO_x is added to modify the contact between CdTe and ITO, reducing the valence band barrier height and simultaneously forming an electron reflector, which can reduce electron-hole recombination at this contact. When the thickness of MoO_x is 2 nm, the simulation results show that an efficiency can reach up to 25.5% with high ITO work function and ideal interface recombination velocity.