Optical and Structural Properties of CdTe Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications

Editorial Board PCSS Journal; B.S. Dzundza; V.Y. Fedenko; R.S. Yavorskyi; R.V. Ilnytskyi

doi:10.15330/pcss.27.1.165-171

Authors

B.S. Dzundza Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
V.Y. Fedenko Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
R.S. Yavorskyi Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
R.V. Ilnytskyi Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15330/pcss.27.1.165-171

Keywords:

renewable energy, thin-films, CdTe, solar cell, optical properties, OPTIFIT, software, computer simulation, semiconductors

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a study of cadmium telluride thin films grown on glass substrates by open evaporation in vacuum. Based on experimentally measured optical transmittance spectra of the films, their optical parameters were calculated using the OPTIFIT software environment. A comparative analysis of the film thickness measured with a profilometer and the OPTIFIT model showed only minor deviations in thickness for thin films up to 3-4 µm. Analysis of AFM images revealed a significant improvement in the structural characteristics of CdTe films, in particular a reduction in the number of defects and in surface roughness for thicknesses of 500–2500 nm, which contributes to increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic energy converters.

References

A. Romeo, E. Artegiani, CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future, Energies, 14(6), 1684 (2021); https://doi.org/10.3390/en14061684.

R. Yavorskyi, Y. Saliy, L. Nykyruy. et al, Thermally evaporated CdTe thin films on glass and (100) silicon substrates for solar cells applications, Applied Nanoscience, 13(11), 7275 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-023-02886-3.

A. D. Compaan, A. Gupta, S. Lee, S. Wang, J. Drayton, High efficiency, magnetron sputtered CdS/CdTe solar cells, Solar Energy, 77(6), 815 (2004); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2004.06.013.

S. Lalitha, S. Zh. Karazhanov, P. Ravindran, S. Senthilarasu, R. Sathyamoorthy, J. Janabergenov, Electronic structure, structural and optical properties of thermally evaporated CdTe thin films, Physica B: Condensed Matter, 387(1–2), 227 (2007); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2006.04.008.

R. Petrus, H. Ilchuk, A. Kashuba, I. Semkiv, E. Zmiiovska, Optical properties of CdTe thin films obtained by the method of high-frequency magnetron sputtering, Functional Materials, 27(2), 342 (2020); https://doi.org/10.15407/fm27.02.342.

X. Ai et al., Microstructure and optical properties of CdTe thin films prepared by close spaced sublimation method at various growth temperatures, Journal of Luminescence, 252, 119372 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlumin.2022.119372.

A. Tanushevski, D. Sokolovski, Structural and optical properties of CdTe thin films obtained by electrodeposition, RAD Conference Proceedings, 2, 149 (2017); https://doi.org/10.21175/RadProc.2017.30

Y. P. Saliy, B. S. Dzundza, I. S. Bylina, O. B. Kostyuk, The Influence of the Technological Factors of Obtaining on the Surface Morphologyand Electrical Properties of the PbTe Films doped Bi. Journal of nano-and electronic physics, 8(2), 2045-1(2016); https://doi.org/10.21272/jnep.8(2).02045.

OPTIFIT software. Web page: https://nanoscops.icms.us-csic.es/software/optifit/.

R. Swanepoel, Determination of the thickness and optical constants of amorphous silicon, Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments, 16(12), 1214 (1983); https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3735/16/12/023.

B. Tatian, Fitting refractive-index data with the Sellmeier dispersion formula, Applied Optics, 23(24), 4477 (1984); https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.23.004477.

N. Ghobadi, Band gap determination using absorption spectrum fitting procedure, International Nano Letters, 3(1), 1 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1186/2228-5326-3-2.

A. V. Tikhonravov, M. K. Trubetskov, A. A. Tikhonravov, A. Duparré, Effects of interface roughness on the spectral properties of thin films and multilayers, Applied. Optics, 42(25), 5140 (2003); https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.42.005140.

D. Poelman, P. F. Smet, Methods for the determination of the optical constants of thin films from single transmission measurements: a critical review, Journal of Physics. D: Applied Physics, 36(15), 1850 (2003); https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/36/15/316.

I.V. Vakaliuk, R.S. Yavorskyi, B.P. Naidych, L.I. Nykyruy, L.O. Katanova, O.V. Zamuruieva, Optical Properties of CdTe:In Thin Films Deposited by PVD Technique, Journal of Nano- and Electronic Physics, 15(5), 05023 (2023). https://doi.org/10.21272/jnep.15(5).05023.