Low Cost Glass and Glass-Ceramic Substrates for Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells: Final Subcontract Report, 25 January 2001

Technical Report · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/15000747· OSTI ID:15000747

Ast, D; Nemchuk, N; Krasula, S

This report describes how Cornell University researchers developed several low-cost and simple barrier layers and tested their effectiveness both analytically (by SIMS) and by evaluating the electrical characteristics of devices fabricated on barrier-coated substrates. Devices fabricated included both majority-carrier devices (thin-film transistors) and minority-carrier devices (p-i-n junction diodes simulating solar cells) using various deposition techniques including the chemical vapor deposition of polysilicon from silane at low pressures (at Cornell University) and from dichlorosilane at atmospheric pressure (cooperation with Neudeck at Purdue University). The structure of the films deposited was investigated by using TEM and X-ray analysis. The performance of the minority- and majority-carrier devices fabricated on barrier-coated glass ceramic substrates was found to be identical to devices fabricated on control substrates of oxidized silicon and fused silica.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO. (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-99GO10337
• OSTI ID: 15000747
• Report Number(s): NREL/SR-590-32454; XAF-8-17607-06
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
BARRIER LAYERS
BIAS TEMPERATURE STRESS (BTS)
CERAMICS
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
DEPOSITION
GLASS
GLASS-CERAMIC SUBSTRATES
JUNCTION DIODES
LOW-COST GLASS
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND SEMICONDUCTORS
OPTICAL TRANSPARENCY
P-I-N JUNCTION DIODES
PERFORMANCE
PV
SILANES
SILICA
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR ENERGY - PHOTOVOLTAICS
SUBSTRATES
THERMAL EXPANSION
THIN-FILM TRANSISTORS
TRANSISTORS