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Title: Device physics of thin-film polycrystalline cells and modules: Phase 1 annual report: February 1998--January 1999

Abstract

This report describes work done by Colorado State University (CSU) during Phase 1 of this subcontract. CSU researchers continued to make basic measurements on CI(G)S and CdTe solar cells fabricated at different labs, to quantitatively deduce the loss mechanisms in these cells, and to make appropriate comparisons that illuminate where progress is being made. Cells evaluated included the new record CIGS cell, CIS cells made with and without CdS, and those made by electrodeposition and electroless growth from solution. Work on the role of impurities focused on sodium in CIS. Cells with varying amounts of sodium added during CIS deposition were fabricated at NREL using four types of substrates. The best performance was achieved with 10{sup {minus}2}--10{sup {minus}1} at% sodium, and the relative merits of proposed mechanisms for the sodium effect were compared. Researchers also worked on the construction and testing of a fine-focused laser-beam apparatus to measure local variations in polycrystalline cell performance. A 1{micro}m spot was achieved, spatial reproducibility in one and two dimensions is less than 1 {micro}m, and photocurrent is reliably measured when the 1{micro}m spot is reduced as low as 1-sun in intensity. In elevated-temperature stress tests, typical CdTe cells held at 100 C undermore » illumination and normal resistive loads for extended periods of time were generally very stable; but those held under reverse or large forward bias and those contacted using larger amounts of copper were somewhat less stable. CdTe cell modeling produced reasonable fits to experimental data, including variations in back-contact barriers. A major challenge being addressed is the photovoltaic response of a single simple-geometry crystallite with realistic grain boundaries.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
US Department of Energy (US)
OSTI Identifier:
754640
Report Number(s):
NREL/SR-520-27663
TRN: AH200015%%7
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-99GO10337
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 21 Dec 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; PERFORMANCE TESTING; CADMIUM TELLURIDE SOLAR CELLS; COPPER SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS; INDIUM SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS; GALLIUM SELENIDES; PHOTOVOLTAICS; DEVICE PHYSICS; THIN-FILM POLYCRYSTALLINE; CELLS AND MODULES; CDTE; CIGS; ELECTRODEPOSITION; IMPURITIES; PERFORMANCE; STRESS TESTS; MODELING

Citation Formats

Sites, J R. Device physics of thin-film polycrystalline cells and modules: Phase 1 annual report: February 1998--January 1999. United States: N. p., 1999. Web. doi:10.2172/754640.
Sites, J R. Device physics of thin-film polycrystalline cells and modules: Phase 1 annual report: February 1998--January 1999. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/754640
Sites, J R. 1999. "Device physics of thin-film polycrystalline cells and modules: Phase 1 annual report: February 1998--January 1999". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/754640. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/754640.
@article{osti_754640,
title = {Device physics of thin-film polycrystalline cells and modules: Phase 1 annual report: February 1998--January 1999},
author = {Sites, J R},
abstractNote = {This report describes work done by Colorado State University (CSU) during Phase 1 of this subcontract. CSU researchers continued to make basic measurements on CI(G)S and CdTe solar cells fabricated at different labs, to quantitatively deduce the loss mechanisms in these cells, and to make appropriate comparisons that illuminate where progress is being made. Cells evaluated included the new record CIGS cell, CIS cells made with and without CdS, and those made by electrodeposition and electroless growth from solution. Work on the role of impurities focused on sodium in CIS. Cells with varying amounts of sodium added during CIS deposition were fabricated at NREL using four types of substrates. The best performance was achieved with 10{sup {minus}2}--10{sup {minus}1} at% sodium, and the relative merits of proposed mechanisms for the sodium effect were compared. Researchers also worked on the construction and testing of a fine-focused laser-beam apparatus to measure local variations in polycrystalline cell performance. A 1{micro}m spot was achieved, spatial reproducibility in one and two dimensions is less than 1 {micro}m, and photocurrent is reliably measured when the 1{micro}m spot is reduced as low as 1-sun in intensity. In elevated-temperature stress tests, typical CdTe cells held at 100 C under illumination and normal resistive loads for extended periods of time were generally very stable; but those held under reverse or large forward bias and those contacted using larger amounts of copper were somewhat less stable. CdTe cell modeling produced reasonable fits to experimental data, including variations in back-contact barriers. A major challenge being addressed is the photovoltaic response of a single simple-geometry crystallite with realistic grain boundaries.},
doi = {10.2172/754640},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/754640}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 21 00:00:00 EST 1999},
month = {Tue Dec 21 00:00:00 EST 1999}
}