AVS 49th International Symposium
    Thin Films Wednesday Sessions
       Session TF-WeP

Paper TF-WeP8
Structural and Optical Properties of the Novel Semiconducting Alloy Films Cu@sub x@Cd@sub 1-x@Te:O Grown by rf Sputtering

Wednesday, November 6, 2002, 11:00 am, Room Exhibit Hall B2

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: S. Jim@aa e@nez-Sandoval, CINVESTAV, Mexico
Authors: J. Santos-Cruz, CINVESTAV, Mexico
G. Torres-Delgado, CINVESTAV, Mexico
R. Castanedo-P@aa e@rez, CINVESTAV, Mexico
O. Jim@aa e@nez-Sandoval, CINVESTAV, Mexico
B.S. Chao, Energy Conversion Devices
S. Jim@aa e@nez-Sandoval, CINVESTAV, Mexico
Correspondent: Click to Email
Current efforts towards understanding the degradation processes in CdS/CdTe heterojunction solar cells are strongly focused on the role of copper and oxygen in these two materials. We have studied the effects of incorporating both Cu and O in a controlled manner, during growth, on the structural and optical properties of CdTe films. When only Cu is introduced up to a concentration of around 3 at.%, the obtained material has a composition of the form Cu@sub x@Cd@sub 1-x@Te which does not present significant changes in its physical properties as compared to those of CdTe. However, when oxygen is incorporated in the chamber during the growth of the Cu@sub x@Cd@sub 1-x@Te films, the structural and optical properties may be varied significantly: depending upon the oxygen partial pressure, the structure of the films may be changed from polycrystalline to amorphous, and the optical band gap may present values between 1.4 and 2.8 eV. These results are addressed in terms of the chemical composition, structural properties and on the known behavior of copper and oxygen in the CdTe host.