Effect of Substrate Temperature on the Photovoltaic Properties of a CdS/CdTe Solar Cell

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Abstract
Structural and electrical properties of CdTe thin films prepared by the conventional vacuum evaporation method were studied. Photovoltaic properties of thin-film CdS (chemical-solution-deposited)/CdTe (vacuum-evaporated) solar cells were also investigated. The crystal structure of CdTe films deposited on the CdS films at the substrate temperature of 300∼520°C was of the zincblende type with a preferential orientation of the (111) plane parallel to the substrate. The dark resistivity of the CdTe films deposited on the glass substrates was about 107 Ωcm. Illumination caused the resistivity decrease of the films by about two orders of magnitude. The conversion efficiency of the CdS/CdTe solar cells increased with increasing substrate temperature. The present thin-film CdS/CdTe solar cell showed a conversion efficiency of greater than 5%.