Presentation Details
| Commercial Production of the Group-V Doped Polycrystalline CdTe Source Material for the Next-Generation Photovoltaics Benjamin Montag1, Amit Munshi2, Mayank Mate2, Magesh Murugesan3, Jing Shang3, John McCloy3, Matthew Reese4, Eric Colegrove4, Hongling Lott4, Robert Morrissey4, Joshua Brown4, Ed Sartor4, Andrea Mathew4, Cody Riecheck1. 1Radiation Detection Technologies, Inc, Manhattan, KS, USA.2Colorado State University, Ft.Collins, CO, USA.3Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.4National Laboratory of the Rockies, Golden, CO, USA |
Abstract
CdTe photovoltaic (PV) module performance has room to improve and can help the DOE in achieving its SunShot initiative. Improving the p-type doping and carrier lifetime in polycrystalline CdTe absorber material is critical to achieving PV cell efficiency to >25%. The current industrial supply chain consists of CdTe feedstock that undergoes treatments to help improve the material properties in effort to achieve a stable and efficient PV. Group-V doping has advantages over the current state-of-the-art where Group-V doping has shown to increase the hole density in CdTe which can improve the PV efficiency. CdTe feedstock is typically synthesized in vacuum-sealed quartz ampoules. Ampoules cannot be scaled beyond 3.0” – 4.0” diameter because beyond this ingot diameter, the risk ampoule failure becomes much greater. Doping with group-V elements pose further challenges where these elements have high vapor pressures and can cause ampoule rupture. Considering these challenges, high-pressure synthesis is the most promising technique for producing these materials – both raw CdTe and group-V doped CdTe, a process known as the High-Pressure Bridgman (HPB). The HPB technique is a high-output and high-yield technique and is the only technique that can be used to produce arsenic-doped CdTe from elemental materials. The commercialization of the HPB process for production of CdTe feedstock materials will be significant to the thin film PV industry. Samples from the group-V doped CdTe ingots have been distributed to collaborators Colorado State University and the National Laboratory of the Rockies who have produced thin film PV devices from the samples. The performance of these devices and long-term stability results will be presented here.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.