The analysis of CdS thin film at the processes of manufacturing CdS/CdTe solar cells

In sequence, the deposited CdS thin film had undergone physical and optical changes by the processes of manufacturing CdS/CdTe solar cells. CdS thin film was manufactured by the Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) method. The aqueous solution was based on ammonia solution. The temperature of bath system was 75 degrees C and deposition time was 50 min. The thickness of deposited CdS thin film was about 200 nm. The substrate was the glass coated with SnO2:F thin film. The following process was the deposition of CdTe thin film by the Closed-Space-Sublimation (CSS) method. The final process was the CdCl2 heat treatment at N-2+O-2 atmosphere, and the contrast experiment progressed for CdCl2-CdS thin film after CSS process at N-2 atmosphere. The phase transition of CdS thin film, stress relaxation and optical band gap narrowing were developed by each process. And so, the formation of cadmium oxide was detected after the CdCl2 heat treatment. It influenced to increase the optical band gap of CdS thin film. The variation in the structure properties, optical properties and residual stresses of CdS thin film was analyzed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet (UV)-visible (VIS) spectroscopy. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.