Structural properties of CdTe and ZnTe thin films deposited on flexible foil substrates

Abstract

A common feature of the most efficient laboratory scale CdS/CdTe solar cells has been the use of close-spaced sublimation (CSS) for the deposition of CdTe [1]. In this study, the growth of CdTe and ZnTe thin films deposited on flexible foil substrates by CSS has been investigated in order to study their structural properties for solar cell applications. Thin films of CdTe were deposited by CSS onto substrates held at temperatures in the range of 400–550°C. The effect of the substrate-source temperature and the growth rate on the structure and surface morphology of CdTe films were analyzed. The structural and surface morphology of the CdTe films were determined by XRD and SEM. Similar studies have been done on the growth characteristics of ZnTe which is often used as a back contact interlayer.