Influence of deposition parameters on the properties of CdTe films deposited by close spaced sublimation

Abstract

CdTe thin films are used as absorber layer in CdS/CdTe solar cells. The microstructure of this absorber layer plays a fundamental role in photovoltaic conversion and can be controlled by the deposition parameters used during the film growth. In this work, CdTe thin films were deposited by the CSS method onto glass substrates previously covered with In2O3:Sn. The effects of pressure, source temperature and substrate temperature on the microstructural properties of the films were studied. The properties were mainly influenced by the pressure, the presence of oxygen in the reaction chamber, and the substrate temperature. For films deposited under an argon atmosphere, an increase in grain size and a reduction of the texture were observed as the pressure and substrate temperature were increased. The introduction of oxygen in the atmosphere led to a decrease in the deposition rate and affected the microstructure and composition of the film. Films deposited under an argon-oxygen atmosphere have smaller grains than those deposited under argon and are richer in Te. The addition of oxygen to the atmosphere apparently did not result in the formation of oxides.

Keywords

• CdTe
• CSS
• deposition parameters