Doping Properties of Cadmium-Rich Arsenic-Doped CdTe Single Crystals: Evidence of Metastable AX Behavior

Darius Kuciauskas; Akira Nagaoka; Michael Scarpulla

doi:10.1063/1.4999011

Doping Properties of Cadmium-Rich Arsenic-Doped CdTe Single Crystals: Evidence of Metastable AX Behavior

Darius Kuciauskas, Akira Nagaoka, Michael Scarpulla

Chemistry and Nanoscience

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Scopus Citations

Abstract

Cd-rich composition and group-V element doping are of interest for simultaneously maximizing the hole concentration and minority carrier lifetime in CdTe, but the critical details concerning point defects are not yet fully established. Herein, we report on the properties of arsenic doped CdTe single crystals grown from Cd solvent by the travelling heater method. The photoluminescence spectra and activation energy of 74 ± 2 meV derived from the temperature-dependent Hall effect are consistent with As_Te as the dominant acceptor. Doping in the 10¹⁶ to 10¹⁷/cm³ range is achieved for measured As concentrations between 10¹⁶ and 10²⁰/cm³ with the highest doping efficiency of 40% occurring near 10¹⁷ As/cm³. We observe persistent photoconductivity, a hallmark of light-induced metastable configuration changes consistent with AX behavior. Additionally, quenching experiments reveal at least two mechanisms of increased p-Type doping in the dark, one decaying over 2-3 weeks and the other persisting for at least 2 months. These results provide essential insights for the application of As-doped CdTe in thin film solar cells.

Original language	American English
Article number	Article No. 232103
Number of pages	5
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	111
Issue number	23
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4999011 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4999011
State	Published - 4 Dec 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Author(s).

NREL Publication Number

NREL/JA-5900-70421

Keywords

activation energies
electron densities of states
photoconductivity
transition

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title = "Doping Properties of Cadmium-Rich Arsenic-Doped CdTe Single Crystals: Evidence of Metastable AX Behavior",

abstract = "Cd-rich composition and group-V element doping are of interest for simultaneously maximizing the hole concentration and minority carrier lifetime in CdTe, but the critical details concerning point defects are not yet fully established. Herein, we report on the properties of arsenic doped CdTe single crystals grown from Cd solvent by the travelling heater method. The photoluminescence spectra and activation energy of 74 ± 2 meV derived from the temperature-dependent Hall effect are consistent with AsTe as the dominant acceptor. Doping in the 1016 to 1017/cm3 range is achieved for measured As concentrations between 1016 and 1020/cm3 with the highest doping efficiency of 40% occurring near 1017 As/cm3. We observe persistent photoconductivity, a hallmark of light-induced metastable configuration changes consistent with AX behavior. Additionally, quenching experiments reveal at least two mechanisms of increased p-Type doping in the dark, one decaying over 2-3 weeks and the other persisting for at least 2 months. These results provide essential insights for the application of As-doped CdTe in thin film solar cells.",

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author = "Darius Kuciauskas and Akira Nagaoka and Michael Scarpulla",

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doi = "10.1063/1.4999011",

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AU - Kuciauskas, Darius

AU - Nagaoka, Akira

AU - Scarpulla, Michael

PY - 2017/12/4

Y1 - 2017/12/4

N2 - Cd-rich composition and group-V element doping are of interest for simultaneously maximizing the hole concentration and minority carrier lifetime in CdTe, but the critical details concerning point defects are not yet fully established. Herein, we report on the properties of arsenic doped CdTe single crystals grown from Cd solvent by the travelling heater method. The photoluminescence spectra and activation energy of 74 ± 2 meV derived from the temperature-dependent Hall effect are consistent with AsTe as the dominant acceptor. Doping in the 1016 to 1017/cm3 range is achieved for measured As concentrations between 1016 and 1020/cm3 with the highest doping efficiency of 40% occurring near 1017 As/cm3. We observe persistent photoconductivity, a hallmark of light-induced metastable configuration changes consistent with AX behavior. Additionally, quenching experiments reveal at least two mechanisms of increased p-Type doping in the dark, one decaying over 2-3 weeks and the other persisting for at least 2 months. These results provide essential insights for the application of As-doped CdTe in thin film solar cells.

AB - Cd-rich composition and group-V element doping are of interest for simultaneously maximizing the hole concentration and minority carrier lifetime in CdTe, but the critical details concerning point defects are not yet fully established. Herein, we report on the properties of arsenic doped CdTe single crystals grown from Cd solvent by the travelling heater method. The photoluminescence spectra and activation energy of 74 ± 2 meV derived from the temperature-dependent Hall effect are consistent with AsTe as the dominant acceptor. Doping in the 1016 to 1017/cm3 range is achieved for measured As concentrations between 1016 and 1020/cm3 with the highest doping efficiency of 40% occurring near 1017 As/cm3. We observe persistent photoconductivity, a hallmark of light-induced metastable configuration changes consistent with AX behavior. Additionally, quenching experiments reveal at least two mechanisms of increased p-Type doping in the dark, one decaying over 2-3 weeks and the other persisting for at least 2 months. These results provide essential insights for the application of As-doped CdTe in thin film solar cells.

KW - activation energies

KW - electron densities of states

KW - photoconductivity

KW - transition

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ER -

Doping Properties of Cadmium-Rich Arsenic-Doped CdTe Single Crystals: Evidence of Metastable AX Behavior

Abstract

Bibliographical note

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

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