Investigation of localized phase changes using high resolution electron back-scatter diffraction in thin film cadmium telluride photovoltaic material with high lattice defect densities

This study focuses on the microstructural and crystallographic characteristics of cadmium telluride thin film photovoltaics using the novel characterization technique of transmission electron back-scatter diffraction (T-EBSD). Taking advantage of the increase in resolution of transmission electron back-scatter diffraction capabilities, identification of localized changes of phase within the cadmium telluride grains have been detected. T-EBSD of the cadmium telluridegrains show areas containing very high defect densities indexed to the hexagonal phase whereas the rest of the grain is indexed to the cubic phase, showing that the high densities of defects alters the stacking formation enough to causes a localized change of phase, forming two different phases within the same grain.