Power conversion efficiency studies of vacuum evaporated n-CdSe0.6Te0.4 semiconducting thin film (aq) ferro-ferricyanide electrolyte photoelectrochemical solar cells

Photoelectrochemical (PEG) solar cells made using as-grown polycrystalline thin films of n-CdSe0.6Te0.4 (thickness approximate to 5000 Angstrom) (prepared by vacuum thermal flash evaporation with a deposition rate of 20 +/- 1 Angstrom s(-1) in a vacuum better than 5 x 10(-5) ton. On indium oxide coated microslide glass plates [sigma = 1.25 x 10(4) (Omega-cm)(-1)] held at 200 degrees C) dipped in aqueous ferro-ferricyanide electrolyte have been studied to evaluate the conversion efficiency under white light illumination intensity of 100mWcm(-2) (AM1). Mott-Shottky plots have been drawn (in the dark condition) to evaluate the semiconductor parameters. The reasons for the observed high power conversion efficiency and high quantum efficiency in relation to the semiconductor parameters are explained. The films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction for structural studies, Energy Despersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX) for compositional analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) technique for surface morphology studies and optical absorption for band gap determination. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.