Criteria for improving the properties of ZnGeAs2 solar cells

TY - JOUR

T1 - Criteria for improving the properties of ZnGeAs2 solar cells

AU - Peshek, Timothy J.

AU - Zhang, Lei

AU - Singh, Rakesh K.

AU - Tang, ZhiZhong

AU - Vahidi, Mahmoud

AU - To, Bobby

AU - Coutts, imothy J.

AU - Gessert, Timothy A.

AU - Newman, Nathan

AU - Van Schilfgaarde, Mark

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - We explore the potential utility of the II-IV-V semiconductor ZnGeAs2 as the absorber material in solar cells. As-deposited ZnGeAs2 films prepared by pulsed laser deposition are amorphous because of the limited substrate temperature that can be used without the rapid loss of volatile Zn and As. Thermal processing above 450 °C results in crystallization and improved electrical properties with hole mobilities as high as 58 cm2/V s. The annealed films were used to fabricate p-type ZnGeAs2: n-type CdS cells on SnO2-buffered borosilicate glass substrates in the so-called superstrate geometry. Light-induced currents of up to ~2 mA/cm2 and open-circuit voltages of up to 470 mV were observed using backside illumination, indicating that these nascent devices hold potential for realizing high performance solar cells from earth-abundant elements. The performance of the devices fabricated to-date is degraded by conduction through shorts resulting from the presence of micron-sized pinholes in the absorber layer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AB - We explore the potential utility of the II-IV-V semiconductor ZnGeAs2 as the absorber material in solar cells. As-deposited ZnGeAs2 films prepared by pulsed laser deposition are amorphous because of the limited substrate temperature that can be used without the rapid loss of volatile Zn and As. Thermal processing above 450 °C results in crystallization and improved electrical properties with hole mobilities as high as 58 cm2/V s. The annealed films were used to fabricate p-type ZnGeAs2: n-type CdS cells on SnO2-buffered borosilicate glass substrates in the so-called superstrate geometry. Light-induced currents of up to ~2 mA/cm2 and open-circuit voltages of up to 470 mV were observed using backside illumination, indicating that these nascent devices hold potential for realizing high performance solar cells from earth-abundant elements. The performance of the devices fabricated to-date is degraded by conduction through shorts resulting from the presence of micron-sized pinholes in the absorber layer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

U2 - 10.1002/pip.2177

DO - 10.1002/pip.2177

M3 - Article

SN - 1062-7995

JO - PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS

JF - PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS

ER -