Development of copper sulfide/cadmium sulfide thin-film solar cells

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5485396· OSTI ID:5485396

Szedon, J. R.; Biter, W. J.; Dickey, H. C.

Unencapsulated thin-film solar cells of the Cu/sub 2/S/CdS type have been aged in controlled flowing-gas ambients to characterize changes in their photovoltaic properties. Severe degradation occurring in wet O/sub 2/ ambients at room temperature probably accounts for the large short-circuit current losses reported earlier. Limited loss (<15% of initial values) in J/sub sc/ occurs at RT in dry oxygen. No loss can be attributed to moisture in Ar or N/sub 2/ ambients for exposure times greater than approx. 2 hrs. Direct measurements of optical absorption in the front Cu/sub 2/S layer would be facilitated by an integral CdS/Cu/sub 2/S detector on the back surface. Several techniques for making such a detector were successfully demonstrated.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Research and Development Center, Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 5485396
• Report Number(s): SERI/PR-8143-1-T6; ON: DE82009398
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
ABSORPTION
ARGON
ATMOSPHERES
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER SULFIDES
CURRENTS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILL FACTORS
FILMS
FLUIDS
GASES
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
RARE GASES
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
STABILITY
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TESTING
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VAPORS
WATER VAPOR