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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Amorphous silicon research: Phase II. Annual technical progress report, August 1, 1995--July 31, 1996

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/385581· OSTI ID:385581
 [1]
  1. United Solar Systems Corp., Troy, MI (United States)
This report describes the research performed during Phase II of a three-phase, three-year program under NREL Subcontract No. ZAN-4-13318-02. The research program is intended to expand, enhance and accelerate knowledge and capabilities for the development of high-performance, two-terminal multijunction hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) alloy modules. It is now well recognized that a multifunction, multibandgap approach has the potential of achieving the highest stable efficiency in a-Si:H alloy solar cells. In this approach, the bandgap of the materials of the component cell is varied in order to capture a wide spectrum of the solar photons. Significant progress has been made in the development of materials and cell design in the last few years, and a stable module efficiency of 10.2% has been demonstrated over one-square-foot area using a triple-junction approach in which the bottom two component cells use hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium (a-SiGe:H) alloy. In order to meet the Department of Energy goal of achievement of 12% stable module efficiency, it is necessary to make further improvements in each of the component cells. This has been the thrust of the current program.
Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-83CH10093
OSTI ID:
385581
Report Number(s):
NREL/SR--520-21964; ON: DE96014327
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English