Interface-Engineered Ni-Coated CdTe Heterojunction Photocathode for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting for hydrogen production using the CdTe photocathode has attracted much interest due to its excellent sunlight absorption property and energy band structure. This work presents a study of engineered interfacial energetics of CdTe photocathodes by deposition of CdS, TiO, and Ni layers. A heterostructure CdTe/CdS/TiO/Ni photocathode was fabricated by depositing a 100-nm -type CdS layer on a -type CdTe surface, with 50 nm TiO as a protective layer and a 10 nm Ni layer as a co-catalyst.

Microscopic Analysis of Interdiffusion and Void Formation in CdTeSe and CdTe Layers.

The use of CdSe layers has recently emerged as a route to improving CdTe photovoltaics through the formation of a CdTeSe (CST) phase. However, the extent of the Se diffusion and the influence it has on the CdTe grain structure has not been widely investigated. In this study, we used transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to investigate the impact of growing CdTe layers on three different window layer structures CdS, CdSe, and CdS/CdSe.