Close spaced sublimation deposition of CdTe layers with process gas oxygen for thin film solar cells

Abstract Close spaced sublimation (CSS) is one of the leading technologies for deposition of the absorber layer in CdTe solar cells. For large scale production CSS is a dynamic process where the substrates are moved above the crucible at a close distance. In this study oxygen as a process gas is injected during dynamic CSS deposition. Solar cells are prepared from these layers by CdCl 2 activation, copper doping and back contact deposition. The samples are investigated using current voltage measurement, quantum efficiency, scanning electron microscopy of cross sections and deep level transient spectroscopy. The results show that the precise introduction of oxygen can improve the solar cell efficiency. The reasons for this effect are discussed in this study.