open access publication

Article, 2024

Grain boundary strain localization in a CdTe solar cell revealed by scanning 3D X-ray diffraction microscopy

Journal of Materials Chemistry A, ISSN 2050-7488, 2050-7496, Volume 12, 27, Pages 16793-16802, 10.1039/d4ta01799d

Contributors

Shukla, Aditya [1] Wright, Jon [2] Henningsson, Axel [3] Stieglitz, Hergen [4] Colegrove, Eric [5] Besley, Luke [1] Baur, Christian 0000-0002-1512-2735 [1] De Angelis, Salvatore [1] Stuckelberger, Michael Elias 0000-0002-8244-5235 [6] Poulsen, Henning Friis 0000-0001-7876-4113 [1] Andreasen, Jens Wenzel 0000-0002-3145-0229 [1]

Affiliations

  1. [1] Technical University of Denmark
    2. [NORA names: DTU Technical University of Denmark; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  2. [2] European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
    3. [NORA names: France; Europe, EU; OECD];
  3. [3] Lund University
    4. [NORA names: Sweden; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  4. [4] Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
    5. [NORA names: Germany; Europe, EU; OECD];
  5. [5] National Renewable Energy Laboratory
    6. [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD];

Abstract

Scanning 3DXRD was used to visualize strain localization at grain boundaries with a high spatial resolution of 100 nm. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell technology is a promising candidate to help boost green energy production. However, impurities and structural defects are major barriers to improving the solar power conversion efficiency. Grain boundaries often act as aggregation sites for impurities, resulting in strain localization in areas of high diffusion. In this study, we demonstrate the use of scanning 3D X-ray diffraction microscopy to non-destructively make 3D maps of the grains – their phase, orientation, and local strain – within a CdTe solar cell absorber layer with a resolution of 100 nm. We quantify twin boundaries and suggest how they affect grain size and orientation distribution. Local strain analysis reveals that strain is primarily associated with high misorientation grain boundaries, whereas twin boundaries do not have high strain values. We also observe that high-strain grain boundaries form a continuous pathway connected to the CdS layer. Hence, this high-strain region is believed to be associated with the diffusion of sulfur from the CdS layer along grain boundaries. This hypothesis is supported by SEM-EDS and X-ray fluorescence experiments. The method and analysis demonstrated in this work can be applied to different polycrystalline materials where the characterization of grain boundary properties is essential to understand the microstructural phenomena.

Keywords

CdS, CdS layer, CdTe, CdTe solar cells, SEM, X-ray, X-ray diffraction microscopy, X-ray fluorescence experiments, absorber layer, aggregation, aggregation sites, analysis, barriers, boundaries, boundary properties, cadmium, cadmium telluride, cell absorber layers, cell technology, cells, characterization, continuous pathway, conversion efficiency, defects, diffraction microscopy, diffusion, diffusion of sulfur, distribution, efficiency, energy production, experiments, fluorescence experiments, grain, grain boundaries, grain boundary properties, grain size, green energy production, high diffusivity, high-strain region, hypothesis, impurities, layer, local strain, local strain analysis, localization, maps, materials, method, microscopy, microstructural phenomena, misorientation grain boundaries, non-destructive, orientation, orientation distribution, pathway, phase, phenomenon, polycrystalline materials, power conversion efficiency, production, properties, region, resolution, scanning, sites, size, solar cell absorber layers, solar cell technology, solar cells, solar power conversion efficiency, spatial resolution, strain, strain analysis, strain localization, strain values, structural defects, study, sulfur, technology, telluride, twin, twin boundaries, values

Funders

  • Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science
  • Swedish Research Council
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Data Provider: Digital Science

LINKS
-

Matching Records in NORA

SUBJECTS
+

METRICS
+