Direct Microscopy Imaging of Nonuniform Carrier Transport in Polycrystalline Cadmium Telluride

Inhomogeneous microscopic carrier transport is difficult to study, but important in many condensed-matter applications. For example, the role of grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline semiconductors has been controversial for 20 years. In cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells, electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) measurements consistently demonstrate enhanced current collection along GBs, which is argued as evidence for interpenetrating CdTe p-n current-collection networks critical to high efficiency. Conversely, cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements consistently indicate that GBs are deleterious low-lifetime regions. Here, we apply transport imaging (TI) in conjunction with spatially correlated EBIC, CL, and scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements to understand carrier drift, diffusion, and recombination in polycrystalline CdTe. We simultaneously observe GB potential wells, reduced carrier lifetime at GBs, and seemingly contradictory enhanced GB current collection, and then describe their coexistence with microscopic TI and physical arguments. The results provide visualization of inhomogeneous transport that is critical to understanding and engineering polycrystalline solar technology. Inhomogeneous local carrier transport is critical in polycrystalline semiconductor applications. Xiao et al. resolve the coexistence with microscopic transport imaging and other physical arguments. The results provide visualization of local charge transport inside individual grains and across grain boundaries, which is critical to understanding and engineering polycrystalline solar technology.