Investigation of the Effects of Different H2SO4, HCI, HNO3 and HCIO4 Liquid Acid Media on the Synthesis of CdTe Semiconductor Thin Films for Solar Cells

Abstract

The main target of the present paper is to investigate the effect of different acidic aqueous media(DAAM) on the synthesis of cadmium telluride thin films(CdTeTFm). The synthesis of CdTeTFm was carried out by the electrochemical deposition method(EDM) in DAAM. The chronoamperometry method of electrodeposition(ED) was used for the production of CdTeTFm. Furthermore, the electrochemical behaviors of the solutions were studied using cyclic voltammetry. The experiments were carried out with 3 electrodes (a working electrode (WE), a reference electrode(CE), and a counter electrode(RE)) using the electrochemical cell potentiostatic method. The experimental conditions of the acidic aqueous CdTe solution have been determined to be pH 3.56-3.57, the temperature of the solution is 85°C, the concentration of CdTe 2.45x10-1 M, and the reaction time is 25 minutes. The physical properties of CdTeTFm were determined by XRD, SEM/EDX, FT-IR, and UV-VIS analysis methods. According to the results of the analysis, it was observed that acidic aqueous media have an important role in the synthesis of CdTeTFm. The bandgap ranges and Cd/Te ratios of the synthesized thin films were obtained as 1.42, 1.48, 1.50, 1.58 eV, 0.65, 0.587, 0.79 and 0.738, respectively.

Keywords

• CdTe
• Solar cells
• HCIO4
• Electrochemical deposition method
• Thin film

References

1. 1. Gong T, Liu J, Liu X, Liu J, Xiang J, Wu Y. A sensitive and selective sensing platform based on CdTe QDs in the presence of l-cysteine for detection of silver, mercury and copper ions in water and various drinks, Food Chem. 2016; 213: 306–312.
2. 2. Romeo A, Artegiani E. CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future, Energies.2021; 14: 1684. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14061684
3. 3. Kosyachenko L, Lashkarev G, Grushko E, Ievtushenko A, Sklyarchuk V, Mathew X and Paulson PD.Spectral distribution of photoelectric efficiency of thin-film CdS/CdTe heterostructure.Acta Physica Polonica A.2009; 116: 862.
4. 4. Scarpulla MA, McCandless B, Phillips AB, Yan Y, Heben MJ, Wolden C, Xiong G, Metzger WK, Mao D, Krasikov D, Sankin I, Grover S, Munshi A, Sampath W, Sites JR,Bothwell A, Albin D, Reese MO, Romeo A, Nardone M, Hayes S M, CdTe-based thin film photovoltaics: Recent advances, current challenges and futureprospects, SolarEnergyMaterials&SolarCells, 2023;255: 112289.
5. 5.Romeo A, Artegiani E. CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future. Energies. 2021; 14(6):1684. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14061684.
6. 6. Silva FO, Carvalho MS, Mendonça R, Macedo WAA, Balzuweit K, Reiss P, Schiavon MA.Effect of surface ligands on the optical properties of aqueous soluble CdTe quantum dots,Nanosc. Res. Lett. 2012; 7: 1–10.
7. 7. Farghaly OA, Hameed, RSA, Abu-Nawwas AAH.Analytical Application Using Modern Electrochemical Techniques, Int. J. Electrochem. Sci.2014;9: 3287–3318.
8. 8. Sanny WMMC, Charlene R S M, Tiago BSS, Anne MGPS, Luiz P C, Eliana M S, Iara F G. Study on the preparation of CdTe nanocrystals on the surface of mesoporous silica and evaluation as modifier of carbon paste electrodes Journal of Porous Materials. 2019; 26: 1157–1169, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10934-018-00717-3.

9. 9. Zakharov O, Rubio A, Cohen ML. Calculated structural and electronic properties of CdSe under pressure, Physical Review B.1995; 51: 4926-4930.
10. 10. Sarmah K, Sarma R, Das HL. Correlative assessment of structural and photoelectrical properties of thermally evaporated CdSe thin films, Journal of Non-Oxide Glasses.2009; 1: 143-156.
11. 11. Tohidi T, Jamshidi-Ghaleh K, Namdar A and Abdi-Ghaleh R. Comparative studies on the structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of nanocrystalline PbS thin films grown by chemical bath deposition using two different bath compositions. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing.2014; 25: 197-206.
12. 12. Tobin SP, Vernon SM, Bajger C, Wojtczuk SJ, Melloch MR, Keshavarzi A, Stellwag TB, Lundstrom MS, Emery KA. Assessment of MOCVD- and MBE grown GaAs for high-efficiency solar cell applications. IEEE Trans Electron Devices.1990; 37: 467–477.
13. 13. Chu TL, Chu SS. Thin film II-VI photovoltaics. Solid State Electron.1995; 38: 533–549.
14. 14. Huang J, Yang D, Li W, Zhang J, Wu L, Wang W. Copassivation of polycrystalline CdTe absorber by CuCl thin films for CdTe solar cells,Applied Surface Science.2019; 484: 1214–1222.
15. 15. Chu TL, Chu SS, Ferekides C, Britt J, Wu CQ. Thin-film junctions of cadmium telluride by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. J Appl Phys.1992; 71: 3870–3876.
16. 16. Ringel SA, Smith AW, MacDougal MH, Rohatgi A. The effects of CdCl2 on the electronic properties of molecular-beam epitaxially grown CdTe/CdS heterojunction solar cells. J Appl Phys.1991; 70:881–889.
17. 17. Compaan AD, Gupta A, Lee S, Wang S, Drtaton J. High efficiency, magnetron sputtered CdS/CdTe solar cells. Sol Energy.2004; 77: 815–822.
18. 18. Uosaki K, Takahashi M, Kita H. The photoelectrochemical behavior of electrochemically deposited CdTe films. Electrochem Acta. 1984; 29: 279–281.
19. 19. Jeon S-H, Choi W-I, Song G-D, Son Y-H, Hur DH. Influence of Surface Roughness and Agitation on the Morphology of Magnetite Films Electrodeposited on Carbon Steel Substrates. Coatings. 2016; 6(4):62. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings6040062.
20. 20. Nishio T, Takahashi M, Wada S, Mıyauchi T, Wakita K, Goto H, Sato S and Sakurada O. Preparation and Characterization of Electrodeposited In-Doped CdTe Semiconductor Films, Electrical Engineering in Japan,2008; 164: 3.
21. 21. Kenta H, Toru W and Hitoshi H.Electric Current in Rate Equation for Parallel Plate Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition of SiCxNyOz Film without Heat Assistance. ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology. 2020; 9(2): 024001.
22. 22. Takahashi M, Uosaki K, Kita H. Effects of heat treatment on the composition and semiconductivity of electrochemically deposited CdTe films. J Appl Phys.1985; 58: 4292–4295.
23. 23. Takahashi M, Uosaki K, Kita H. Composition and electronic properties of electrochemically deposited CdTe films. J Appl Phys. 1984; 55: 3879–3881.https://doi.org/10.1063/1.332904.
24. 24. Nagaoka A, Kuciauskas D, Scarpulla MA, Doping properties of cadmium-rich arsenic-doped CdTe single crystals: evidence of metastable AX behavior, Appl. Phys. Lett. 2017; 111, 232103. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4999011.
25. 25. Takahashi M, Muramatsu M, Watanabe M, Wakita K, Miyuki T, Ikeda S. Preparation and characterization of Cu-doped p-CdTe films grown by cathodic electrodeposition. J Electrochem Soc. 2002; 149: C311– C316.DOI 10.1149/1.1470660
26. 26. Li C,Wang F, Chen Y, Wu L, Zhang J, Li W, He X, Li Bing. Characterization of sputtered CdSe thin films as the window layer for CdTe solar cells. MaterialsScience in Semiconductor Processing.2018; 83: 89–95.
27. 27. Mogro-Campero A, Turner LG. Film Thickness Dependence of Critical Current Density for YBa2CuO7 Films Post-annealed at a Low Oxygen Partial Pressure, Journal of Superconductivity.1993; 6:1.
28. 28. Kıyak A, AltıokkaB. An investigation of effects of bath temperature on CdO films prepared by electrodeposition Appl Nanosci.2017;7: 513–518.
29. 29. Shaabana ER, Afify N, El-Taher A. Effect of film thickness on microstructure parameters and optical constants of CdTe thin films, Journal of Alloys and Compounds .2009; 482: 400–404.
30. 30. Şimşek V, Çağlayan MO. Nanocrystalline PbS thin film produced by alkaline chemical bath deposition: effect of inhibitor levels and temperature on the physicochemical properties, Int. J. Mater. Res. 2023; 114(12): 1047–1057.
31. 31. Saleh W R, Saeed NM, Twej W A and Alwan M. Synthesis sol-gel derived highly transparent zno thin films for optoelectronic applications, Advences in Materials Phy. and Chemistry. 2012; 2: 11–16.
32. 32. Sardela M. Practical materials characterization, Springer, New York. 2014; ISBN:978-1-4614-9280-1.