Limitations on Thickness of Absorber Layer in CdS/CdTe Solar Cells

• Authors: T. Mykytyuk , V. Roshko , L. Kosyachenko , E. Grushko
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Calculations of the integrated absorptive capacity of CdTe layer taking into account the spectrum of the AM1.5 solar radiation and the absorption coefficient of CdTe are carried out. The recombination losses at the front and rear surfaces of the CdTe layer and in the space-charge region are also calculated based on the continuity equation. The restrictions on the thickness of CdTe in CdS/CdTe heterojunction have been ascertained taking into account all types of losses. It is shown that in CdTe, the almost complete absorption of photons (99.9%) in the hν > E_{g} range is observed at a layer thickness of more than 20-30 μm, and the absorptive capacity of photons in a CdTe layer of thickness 1 μm is about 93%. The obtained results indicate that when the CdTe absorber layer is very thin, it is impossible to avoid a noticeable decrease of the short circuit current density J_{sc} as compared with a typical thickness of the absorber layer. The loss in J_{sc} is 19-20% when the thickness is 0.5 μm compared to 5% for a thickness of 2-3 μm.

Keywords

EN

84.60.Jt; 85.60.Dw; 73.61.Ga

Discipline

• 85.60.Dw: Photodiodes; phototransistors; photoresistors
• 73.61.Ga: II-VI semiconductors
• 84.60.Jt: Photoelectric conversion(for solar cells, see 88.40.H- and 88.40.J- in renewable energy resources; for solar collectors and concentrators, see 42.79.Ek in optics and 88.40.F- in renewable energy resources)

• Publisher: Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Acta Physica Polonica A
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 122
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1073-1076

Dates

published

2012-12

Contributors

author

T. Mykytyuk

• Chernivtsi National University, 58012 Chernivtsi, Ukraine

author

V. Roshko

• Chernivtsi National University, 58012 Chernivtsi, Ukraine

author

L. Kosyachenko

• Chernivtsi National University, 58012 Chernivtsi, Ukraine

author

E. Grushko

• Chernivtsi National University, 58012 Chernivtsi, Ukraine

References

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Identifiers

DOI

10.12693/APhysPolA.122.1073