Research on high-efficiency, single-junction, monolithic, thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5383673· OSTI ID:5383673

Ayra, R. R.; Bennett, M. S.; Dickson, C. R.; Fieselmann, B.; Fortmann, C.; Goldstein, B.; Morris, J.; O'Dowd, J. G.; Oswald, R. S.; Wiedeman, S.; Yang, L. ^[1]

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1. Solarex Corp., Newtown, PA (USA). Thin Film Div.

This document describes efforts to improve the quality of candidate photovoltaic materials used in amorphous wide- and narrow-band-gap materials, namely, a-Si{sub 1-x}C{sub x} and a-Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x}. Although these alloys show a decrease in mobility-lifetime product as the fraction of silicon decreases, their optical properties show marked differences. Microcrystalline p-layer films containing carbon were prepared to evaluate their importance for achieving high open-circuit voltages. Silicon-germanium cells were studied to optimize their performance in multijunction, stacked cell structures. The best cells fabricated from the silicon-germanium alloys yielded a conversion efficiency of 10.1% with a band gap of 1.55 eV. Several alloy-based stacked cells had conversion efficiencies of more than 10%: an a-SiC/a-SiGe cell yielded 10.5% and an a-SiC:H/a-Si:H structure yielded 10.2%. Stacked-junction cells showed far less susceptibility to light-induced degradation.

• Research Organization: Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/CE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 5383673
• Report Number(s): SERI/STR-211-3583; ON: DE89009496
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
AMORPHOUS STATE
DAMAGE
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
DOCUMENT TYPES
EFFICIENCY
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PROGRESS REPORT
QUANTUM EFFICIENCY
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TESTING