Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LMGP, Grenoble F-38000, France ; CNRS, LMGP, Grenoble F-38000, France.
CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, Grenoble F-38054, France.
Nanoscale Res Lett. 2014 May 7;9(1):222. doi: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-222. eCollection 2014.
CdTe is an important compound semiconductor for solar cells, and its use in nanowire-based heterostructures may become a critical requirement, owing to the potential scarcity of tellurium. The effects of the CdCl2 heat treatment are investigated on the physical properties of vertically aligned ZnO/CdTe core-shell nanowire arrays grown by combining chemical bath deposition with close space sublimation. It is found that recrystallization phenomena are induced by the CdCl2 heat treatment in the CdTe shell composed of nanograins: its crystallinity is improved while grain growth and texture randomization occur. The presence of a tellurium crystalline phase that may decorate grain boundaries is also revealed. The CdCl2 heat treatment further favors the chlorine doping of the CdTe shell with the formation of chlorine A-centers and can result in the passivation of grain boundaries. The absorption properties of ZnO/CdTe core-shell nanowire arrays are highly efficient, and more than 80% of the incident light can be absorbed in the spectral range of the solar irradiance. The resulting photovoltaic properties of solar cells made from ZnO/CdTe core-shell nanowire arrays covered with CuSCN/Au back-side contact are also improved after the CdCl2 heat treatment. However, recombination and trap phenomena are expected to operate, and the collection of the holes that are mainly photo-generated in the CdTe shell from the CuSCN/Au back-side contact is presumably identified as the main critical point in these solar cells.
碲化镉是一种重要的化合物半导体,用于太阳能电池,由于碲的潜在短缺,其在纳米线异质结构中的应用可能成为一个关键要求。通过将化学浴沉积与近空间升华相结合,生长垂直排列的 ZnO/CdTe 核壳纳米线阵列,研究了 CdCl2 热处理对其物理性质的影响。结果发现,CdCl2 热处理在由纳米颗粒组成的 CdTe 壳中诱导了再结晶现象:其结晶度提高,同时发生晶粒生长和织构随机化。还揭示了可能修饰晶界的碲晶相的存在。CdCl2 热处理进一步有利于 CdTe 壳的氯掺杂,形成氯 A 中心,并可能导致晶界钝化。ZnO/CdTe 核壳纳米线阵列的吸收性质非常高效,超过 80%的入射光可以在太阳辐照度的光谱范围内被吸收。用 CuSCN/Au 背接触覆盖的 ZnO/CdTe 核壳纳米线阵列制成的太阳能电池的光伏性能也在 CdCl2 热处理后得到改善。然而,预计会出现复合和陷阱现象,并且主要在 CdTe 壳中光生的空穴从 CuSCN/Au 背接触收集,这可能被认为是这些太阳能电池的主要关键点。