Development of ZnSexTe1 − x p-type contacts for high efficiency tandem structures

With a band gap of 1.7 eV CdSe is a near-ideal top cell for a tandem solar cell using CuIn_xGa_1 − xSe₂ (CIGS) as the bottom cell. We and others have demonstrated that CdSe has excellent electronic properties that should result in efficiencies of 18%. The primary obstacle to meeting that objective is low Voc due to not having an effective p-contact. We have made some progress in this regard with ZnSe and ZnTe, but each has limitations that limit Voc below the needed 1+ V. ZnSe is not easily doped p-type, and ZnTe's valence band is not as low as desired. In our recent work we have been combining the two binaries to try to get around these limitations. Films are deposited using conventional co-evaporation to be consistent with manufacturing constraints for solar cells. In one approach we are forming the ternary ZnSe_xTe_1 − x. While giving up a bit of ZnSe's favorable valence band location, we hope to enhance dopability. One of the difficulties that we encountered was maintaining stoichiometry for our targeted Te/Se ratio of 1.0. Such films are typically Zn-rich and not dopable. We found deposition techniques that allow access to stoichiometric films with the desired ratio and have measured modest conductivity. We are also investigating superlattice structures as another way of combining the properties of the binaries. This approach avoids competition between the group VI elements during deposition allowing more control over stoichiometry. However, an added difficulty is posed by the activated N dopant environment in the chamber in that it enhances loss of Te during deposition. The superlattice approach provides means of compensation and is producing stoichiometric films, but conductivity is not yet evident.     

Microcharacterization of composition modulations in epitaxial ZnSe1-xTex

Molecular beam epitaxial growth of the ZnSe_1-xTe_x (x=0.44-0.47) alloy on vicinal (001) GaAs substrates tilted four, six, and nine degree-[111]A or B results in partial phase separation of the alloy with a vertical modulation between different compositions. Transmission electron microscopy images of samples grown on four degree-tilted substrates showed superlattice-like structures, with periods in the range 13.4-28.9Â. Lattice images reveal diffuse interfaces between light and dark bands. Period variations were detected in isolated regions of some samples. We present evidence that the modulation develops at the growth surface, and remains stable in the bulk at temperatures up to 450°C. Satellite spot pairs with approximate indices (h k 1 + δ) were present near the zinc-blende spots in electron diffraction patterns and x-ray diffraction data, as expected from material with a sinusoidal composition profile. The orientation of the spots reveals that the modulation vector is parallel to the growth direction, rather than to [001]. The [111]A- and B-tilted samples showed significant modulation, while the five degree-[110] and on-axis material showed no detectable modulation. The modulation wavelength did not strongly depend on growth temperature in the range examined (285–335°C). Samples showing composition modulation did not exhibit significantly altered low-temperature luminescence spectra from material with no modulation.     

ZnSeTe/ZnTe多量子阱中载流子动力学过程

用飞秒脉冲泵浦.探测技术通过时间分辨差分透射谱和透射衰减曲线研究了ZnSe0.2Te0.8/ZnTe Ⅱ型多量子阱结构中热载流子的产生、弛豫及复合过程.观察到阱层和垒层中热载流子的形成,ZnTe垒层中热载流子在10ps左右会弛豫回ZnTe基态,并在10ps内注入到ZnSeTe阱层并辐射复合.     

Elastic strains in heteroepitaxial ZnSe1−xTex on InGaAs/InP (001)

Here we report on the elastic strains in ZnSe_1−xTe_x (x<0.9) epitaxial layers grown using photo-assisted metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy on In_0.53Ga_0.47As/InP (001) substrates. High-resolution x-ray diffraction was used to determine their composition and strain. At room temperature, we observed an apparent asymmetry in strains for tensile and compressive layers. However, when we accounted for the difference in thermal expansion between the substrate and epitaxial material, the growth temperature strain relaxation appears symmetric with respect to the sign of mismatch. The growth temperature strains are in agreement with the Matthews and Blakeslee (MB) model [J.W. Matthews and A.E. Blakeslee, J. Cryst. Growth 27, 118 (1974)] for both compressive (x>0.6) and tensile (x<0.4) layers. However, for the layers with composition in the range 0.4<x<0.6, the growth temperature strains exceed the values predicted by the MB theory. Apparently, low-mismatch layers experience a kinetic barrier to relaxation. The overall behavior can be fit by the relaxation model of Dodson and Tsao [B.W. Dodson and J.Y. Tsao, Appl. Phys. Lett. 51, 1325 (1987)] using the values Cμ²=80 s⁻¹ and γ₀=10⁻⁹.     

ZnSe/ZnSeTe Superlattice Nanotips

The authors report the growth of ZnSe/ZnSeTe superlattice nanotips on oxidized Si(100) substrate. It was found the nanotips exhibit mixture of cubic zinc-blende and hexagonal wurtzite structures. It was also found that photoluminescence intensities observed from the ZnSe/ZnSeTe superlattice nanotips were much larger than that observed from the homogeneous ZnSeTe nanotips. Furthermore, it was found that activation energies for the ZnSe/ZnSeTe superlattice nanotips with well widths of 16, 20, and 24 nm were 76, 46, and 19 meV, respectively.     

Photoluminescence properties of ZnSe_(1-x)Te_x thin films on GaAs/ITO substrates by electron beam evaporation technique

Zinc chalcogenide which includes zinc selenide,zinc sulphide,zinc telluride and mixed crystals of these shows a great potential as an optoelectronic device material. Zinc selenotelluride is a suitable material for visible light emitting devices which are expected to cover the spectral range from yellow to blue. In our present study the composition controlled ZnSe1-xTex films with different Te content x = 0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8 and 1.0 were deposited by electron beam (EB) evaporation technique. GaAs films were de...