The preparation of ultra-thin semi-transparent solar cells with potential applications in windows or transparent roofs entails several challenges due to the very small thickness of the layers involved. In particular, problems related to undesired inter-diffusion or inhomogeneities originated by incomplete coverage of the growing surfaces must be prevented. In this paper, undoped SnO₂, CdS, and CdTe thin films with thickness suitable for use in ultra-thin solar cells were deposited with a radiofrequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique onto conductive glass. Preparation conditions were found for depositing the individual layers with good surface coverage, absence of pin holes and with a relatively small growth rate adapted for the control of very small thickness. After a careful growth calibration procedure, heterostructured solar cells devices were fabricated. The influence of an additional undoped SnO₂ buffer layer deposited between the conductive glass and the CdS window was studied. The incorporation of this layer led to an enhancement of both short circuit current and open circuit voltage (by 19 and 32%, respectively) without appreciable changes of other parameters. After the analysis of the cell parameters extracted from the current-voltage (I-V) curves, possible origins of these effects were found to be: Passivation effects of the SnO₂/CdS interface, blocking of impurities diffusion or improvement of the band alignment.
Keywords: optical materials and properties; semiconductors; solar energy materials; sputtering; thin films.