• Featured in Physics

Grain-Boundary-Enhanced Carrier Collection in CdTe Solar Cells

Chen Li, Yelong Wu, Jonathan Poplawsky, Timothy J. Pennycook, Naba Paudel, Wanjian Yin, Sarah J. Haigh, Mark P. Oxley, Andrew R. Lupini, Mowafak Al-Jassim, Stephen J. Pennycook, and Yanfa Yan
Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 156103 – Published 16 April 2014
Physics logo See Synopsis: The Key to Thin-Film Solar-Cell Efficiency
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

When CdTe solar cells are doped with Cl, the grain boundaries no longer act as recombination centers but actively contribute to carrier collection efficiency. The physical origin of this remarkable effect has been determined through a combination of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and first-principles theory. Cl substitutes for a large proportion of the Te atoms within a few unit cells of the grain boundaries. Density functional calculations reveal the mechanism, and further indicate the grain boundaries are inverted to n type, establishing local pn junctions which assist electron-hole pair separation. The mechanism is electrostatic, and hence independent of the geometry of the boundary, thereby explaining the universally high collection efficiency of Cl-doped CdTe solar cells.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 18 December 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.156103

© 2014 American Physical Society

Synopsis

Key Image

The Key to Thin-Film Solar-Cell Efficiency

Published 16 April 2014

The combination of atomic imaging and new calculations explains the large photovoltaic efficiency of thin-film cadmium-telluride solar cells.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Chen Li1,2, Yelong Wu3, Jonathan Poplawsky4,2, Timothy J. Pennycook5,6, Naba Paudel3, Wanjian Yin3, Sarah J. Haigh7, Mark P. Oxley8,2, Andrew R. Lupini2, Mowafak Al-Jassim9, Stephen J. Pennycook4, and Yanfa Yan3

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA
  • 2Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  • 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, USA
  • 4Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
  • 5Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13PH, United Kingdom
  • 6SuperSTEM Laboratory, Daresbury WA44AD, United Kingdom
  • 7School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M139PL, United Kingdom
  • 8Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA
  • 9The Measurements and Characterization Group, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 112, Iss. 15 — 18 April 2014

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×