Apparatus surface conditioning effects in copper sulfide reactive sputtering for photovoltaic applications
The electrical requirements of the CdS/Cu/sub x/S solar cell place severe requirements on the Cu/sub x/S stoichiometry. While using Cu--Ar--H/sub 2/S cylindrical magnetron reactive sputtering to deposit coatings for use in CdS/Cu/sub x/S solar cells, we encountered film property variations which were traced to relatively long time constants (approx.100 min) for equilibration of the cathode and wall surfaces. This paper describes experiments in which equilibration times were determined for cases where: (a) cathode and wall surfaces were initially both in a ''clean'' fresh copper state, (b) cathode was in the clean state and walls were in the conditioned state, and (c) cathode was in the conditioned state and walls were in the clean state. The time constants were found to be determined primarily by the initial state of the cathode surface, the H/sub 2/S injection rate, and the discharge current. Heterojunctions with sputtered Cu/sub 2/S deposited after proper conditioning onto evaporated CdS and (CdZn)S have yielded short circuit currents approx.19 mA/cm/sup 2/ which are comparable to those obtained with copper sulfide deposited by the more conventional ion exchange processes. An efficiency of approx.7% has been achieved for a (CdZn)S/Cu/sub x/S cell with sputtered Cu/sub 2/S.
- Research Organization:
- Telic Corporation, 1631 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, California 90404
- OSTI ID:
- 5688555
- Journal Information:
- J. Vac. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Vac. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 20:3; ISSN JVSTA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
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Related Subjects
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CATHODES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COATING
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
COATINGS
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER SULFIDES
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRODES
EQUILIBRIUM
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPUTTERING
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE COATING
SURFACE TREATMENTS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TIME DEPENDENCE
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VAPOR DEPOSITED COATINGS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC SULFIDES