Rapid Thermal Processing in CdS/CdTe Thin Film Solar Cells by Intense Pulsed Light Sintering

Rapid thermal sintering under atmospheric conditions can drastically cut down processing times from tens of minutes to 1-2 minutes. Intense Pulse Light (IPL) sintering is one such technique that has the potential to combat this target. Unlike traditional heat treatment methods, heating is initiated through the absorption of light from the UV to IR region, resulting in localized heating. Little work exists on the employment of IPL to process semiconductor materials and solar cells. In this study a low-cost deposition technique has been coupled with IPL. CdS and CdTe thin films were grown by electrochemical deposition (ED). ED CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells require the heat treatment of both the CdS and the CdTe layers. Improvements to the optical, morphological and crystalline properties were observed after IPL treatment.