Influence of the Au interlayer on the contact resistance and morphology of CdTe films deposited on molybdenum substrate

Development of a proper electrical contact between CdTe and the metallic substrate is one of the hurdles in the fabrication of flexible solar cells on metal foils. From the point of view of matching thermal expansion coefficient; Molybdenum (Mo) is favored as the substrate material. However, the large difference in work, function of CdTe and Mo necessitates a no-rectifying interlayer. In this work we are presenting some preliminary results of our efforts on developing a pseudo-ohmic layer between CdTe and Mo substrate. A thin interlayer of Au seems to reduce the contact resistance. The dependence of the film morphology on the substrate material as well as the substrate temperature is discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.