Ex situ bismuth doping for efficient CdSeTe thin-film solar cells with open-circuit voltages exceeding 900 mV

Sabin Neupane; Deng Bing Li; Abasi Abudulimu; Manoj Kumar Jamarkattel; Chun Sheng Jiang; Yeming Xian; Xiaomeng Duan; Adam B. Phillips; Michael J. Heben; Randall J. Ellingson; Feng Yan; Dingyuan Lu; Dan Mao; Nicholas Miller; James Becker; William Huber; Gang Xiong; Yanfa Yan

doi:10.1016/j.joule.2024.09.013

Ex situ bismuth doping for efficient CdSeTe thin-film solar cells with open-circuit voltages exceeding 900 mV

Sabin Neupane, Deng Bing Li, Abasi Abudulimu, Manoj Kumar Jamarkattel, Chun Sheng Jiang, Yeming Xian, Xiaomeng Duan, Adam B. Phillips, Michael J. Heben, Randall J. Ellingson, Feng Yan, Dingyuan Lu, Dan Mao, Nicholas Miller, James Becker, William Huber, Gang Xiong, Yanfa Yan

Engineering, Ira A. Fulton Schools of (IAFSE)

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

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The focus of CdSeTe thin-film solar cell doping has transitioned from copper (Cu) doping to group V doping. In situ group V doping has resulted in a new record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.1%, with open-circuit voltages (V_OCs) exceeding the 900 mV mark. Here, we report that ex situ bismuth (Bi)-doped CdSeTe thin-film solar cells show V_OCs exceeding 900 mV and a champion PCE of 20.6%. Characterizations revealed that the Se-rich CdSeTe region near the front junction promotes Bi ions to occupy the anion sites and dope this region weakly p-type. Bi ions in the CdTe-dominating back surface region occupy the cation sites and are oxidized. This ex situ Bi doping with BiF₃ as a dopant precursor offers several advantages, including simplicity, high tolerance to the processing environment, and no requirement of additional Cd vapor or special activation processes, making it highly adaptable for researchers to explore efficient Bi-doped CdSeTe thin-film solar cells.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	101766
Journal	Joule
Volume	9
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2024.09.013
State	Published - Jan 15 2025

Keywords

CdTe solar cell
bismuth doping
ex situ doping
group V doping

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Energy

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10.1016/j.joule.2024.09.013

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Neupane, S., Li, D. B., Abudulimu, A., Jamarkattel, M. K., Jiang, C. S., Xian, Y., Duan, X., Phillips, A. B., Heben, M. J., Ellingson, R. J., Yan, F., Lu, D., Mao, D., Miller, N., Becker, J., Huber, W., Xiong, G., & Yan, Y. (2025). Ex situ bismuth doping for efficient CdSeTe thin-film solar cells with open-circuit voltages exceeding 900 mV. Joule, 9(1), Article 101766. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2024.09.013

Neupane, S, Li, DB, Abudulimu, A, Jamarkattel, MK, Jiang, CS, Xian, Y, Duan, X, Phillips, AB, Heben, MJ, Ellingson, RJ, Yan, F, Lu, D, Mao, D, Miller, N, Becker, J, Huber, W, Xiong, G & Yan, Y 2025, 'Ex situ bismuth doping for efficient CdSeTe thin-film solar cells with open-circuit voltages exceeding 900 mV', Joule, vol. 9, no. 1, 101766. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2024.09.013

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title = "Ex situ bismuth doping for efficient CdSeTe thin-film solar cells with open-circuit voltages exceeding 900 mV",

abstract = "The focus of CdSeTe thin-film solar cell doping has transitioned from copper (Cu) doping to group V doping. In situ group V doping has resulted in a new record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.1%, with open-circuit voltages (VOCs) exceeding the 900 mV mark. Here, we report that ex situ bismuth (Bi)-doped CdSeTe thin-film solar cells show VOCs exceeding 900 mV and a champion PCE of 20.6%. Characterizations revealed that the Se-rich CdSeTe region near the front junction promotes Bi ions to occupy the anion sites and dope this region weakly p-type. Bi ions in the CdTe-dominating back surface region occupy the cation sites and are oxidized. This ex situ Bi doping with BiF3 as a dopant precursor offers several advantages, including simplicity, high tolerance to the processing environment, and no requirement of additional Cd vapor or special activation processes, making it highly adaptable for researchers to explore efficient Bi-doped CdSeTe thin-film solar cells.",

keywords = "CdTe solar cell, bismuth doping, ex situ doping, group V doping",

author = "Sabin Neupane and Li, {Deng Bing} and Abasi Abudulimu and Jamarkattel, {Manoj Kumar} and Jiang, {Chun Sheng} and Yeming Xian and Xiaomeng Duan and Phillips, {Adam B.} and Heben, {Michael J.} and Ellingson, {Randall J.} and Feng Yan and Dingyuan Lu and Dan Mao and Nicholas Miller and James Becker and William Huber and Gang Xiong and Yanfa Yan",

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T1 - Ex situ bismuth doping for efficient CdSeTe thin-film solar cells with open-circuit voltages exceeding 900 mV

AU - Neupane, Sabin

AU - Li, Deng Bing

AU - Abudulimu, Abasi

AU - Jamarkattel, Manoj Kumar

AU - Jiang, Chun Sheng

AU - Xian, Yeming

AU - Duan, Xiaomeng

AU - Phillips, Adam B.

AU - Heben, Michael J.

AU - Ellingson, Randall J.

AU - Yan, Feng

AU - Lu, Dingyuan

AU - Mao, Dan

AU - Miller, Nicholas

AU - Becker, James

AU - Huber, William

AU - Xiong, Gang

AU - Yan, Yanfa

PY - 2025/1/15

Y1 - 2025/1/15

N2 - The focus of CdSeTe thin-film solar cell doping has transitioned from copper (Cu) doping to group V doping. In situ group V doping has resulted in a new record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.1%, with open-circuit voltages (VOCs) exceeding the 900 mV mark. Here, we report that ex situ bismuth (Bi)-doped CdSeTe thin-film solar cells show VOCs exceeding 900 mV and a champion PCE of 20.6%. Characterizations revealed that the Se-rich CdSeTe region near the front junction promotes Bi ions to occupy the anion sites and dope this region weakly p-type. Bi ions in the CdTe-dominating back surface region occupy the cation sites and are oxidized. This ex situ Bi doping with BiF3 as a dopant precursor offers several advantages, including simplicity, high tolerance to the processing environment, and no requirement of additional Cd vapor or special activation processes, making it highly adaptable for researchers to explore efficient Bi-doped CdSeTe thin-film solar cells.

AB - The focus of CdSeTe thin-film solar cell doping has transitioned from copper (Cu) doping to group V doping. In situ group V doping has resulted in a new record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.1%, with open-circuit voltages (VOCs) exceeding the 900 mV mark. Here, we report that ex situ bismuth (Bi)-doped CdSeTe thin-film solar cells show VOCs exceeding 900 mV and a champion PCE of 20.6%. Characterizations revealed that the Se-rich CdSeTe region near the front junction promotes Bi ions to occupy the anion sites and dope this region weakly p-type. Bi ions in the CdTe-dominating back surface region occupy the cation sites and are oxidized. This ex situ Bi doping with BiF3 as a dopant precursor offers several advantages, including simplicity, high tolerance to the processing environment, and no requirement of additional Cd vapor or special activation processes, making it highly adaptable for researchers to explore efficient Bi-doped CdSeTe thin-film solar cells.

KW - CdTe solar cell

KW - bismuth doping

KW - ex situ doping

KW - group V doping

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Ex situ bismuth doping for efficient CdSeTe thin-film solar cells with open-circuit voltages exceeding 900 mV

Abstract

Keywords

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