ADVANCEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES OF THIN-FILM DEPOSITION ON SILICON
Keywords:
Silicon, Cadmium Sulfide (CdS), Thin Film Deposition, Radial p–n Junction, Heterojunction, Photovoltaics, Efficiency EnhancementAbstract
Silicon’s intrinsic limitations—low optical absorption (α ≈ 10³–10⁴ cm⁻¹), narrow bandgap (1.12 eV), and high surface recombination (S ≈ 10⁴–10⁶ cm·s⁻¹)—restrict device performance. This study demonstrates the deposition of CdS thin films (100–300 nm) on p-type Si to form n–p heterojunctions and radial p–n structures. Characterization using XRD, SEM, and EDS confirmed uniform, high-crystallinity films. Electrical measurements show a 90–95% reduction in surface recombination velocity, a 25–35% increase in short-circuit current density, and 18–22% higher open-circuit voltage. Radial junctions further enhanced carrier collection by 30–40%, yielding an overall 20–30% increase in efficiency, highlighting CdS/Si radial heterostructures as promising for photodetectors and photovoltaics.
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