Optimizing cadmium (CD) alloy solar cells with sputtered copper-dopped zinc telluride (ZNTE:CU) back contacts in the presence of hydrogen

A method of manufacturing a cadmium (Cd) alloy transmissive solar cell, the method comprising:

• pumping, by a pumping system, a vacuum chamber to a base pressure;
• pumping, by the pumping system, the vacuum chamber to raise the base pressure to a sputtering pressure;
• providing, by one or more mass flow controllers, into the vacuum chamber a first gas at a rate that balances a flow of the first gas in and out of the vacuum chamber with respect to the sputtering pressure;
• heating a surface of a partially manufactured cadmium (Cd) alloy transmissive solar cell within the vacuum chamber to a calibrated deposition temperature;
• providing, by the one or more mass flow controllers, into the vacuum chamber a second gas comprising at least a hydrogen gas (H2) at a proportional rate to achieve a target gas mix while maintaining the sputtering pressure by separately running the pumping system;
• and
• depositing a target material onto the surface to form a back contact section of the cadmium (Cd) alloy transmissive solar cell.