Radiation sensor based on thin-film CdTe/CdS device structure and its radiation resistance under high-intensity hydrogen plasma

• Published in: Journal of applied physics Vol. 132; no. 10
• Main Authors: Meriuts, A. V., Kharchenko, M. M., Khrypunov, G. S., Pudov, A. O., Makhlai, V. A., Herashchenko, S. S., Sokolov, S. A., Rybka, A. V., Kutny, V. E., Kolodiy, I. V., Dobrozhan, A. I., Kosinov, A. V., Khrypunov, M. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melville American Institute of Physics 14.09.2022
• Subjects: Cadmium sulfide; Cadmium tellurides; Crystal structure; Electric potential; High temperature; Hydrogen plasma; Ion density (concentration); Ionizing radiation; Photovoltaic cells; Plasma; Radiation; Radiation detectors; Radiation tolerance; Solar cells; Solid solutions; Thin films; Voltage
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0098123

In this work, the ability of CdTe/CdS thin-film device structures prepared by the hot-wall method to detect ionizing radiation was investigated. The samples were fabricated with a structure typical of CdTe/CdS-based solar cells and exhibit radiation sensitivity even without the application of an external voltage. This allows such structures to be used as low-voltage radiation sensors. An investigation of the radiation resistance of the structures, namely, the effect of irradiation with high-intensity hydrogen plasma H2+ on the crystal structure and performance, was carried out. It was shown that the device structures remained operational after two plasma pulses at an ion density of 2 × 1023 m−2 and an energy density of up to 0.2 MJ/m2. With further exposure to plasma, the device structures deteriorated, first, due to gradual sputtering off of the back contact, and, second, as a result of diffusion processes that occurred when the structures were heated to high temperatures, due to which the entire volume of the CdTe base layer got converted into a CdSxTe1−x solid solution.