High-efficiency indium tin oxide/indium phosphide solar cells
Improvements in the performance of indium tin oxide/indium phosphide (ITO/InP) solar cells have been achieved by using dc magnetron sputter deposited /ital n/-ITO onto an epitaxial /ital p///ital p//sup +/ structure grown on good quality commercial /ital p//sup +/ bulk substrates. The composition of the sputtering gas has been investigated and the highest efficiency cells resulted when the surface of the epilayer was exposed to an Ar/H/sub 2/ plasma before depositing the bulk of the ITO in a more typical Ar/O/sub 2/ plasma. With H/sub 2/ processing, record efficiencies of 18.9% global, 1000 W m/sup /minus/2/, 25 /degree/C (17.0% air mass zero) were achieved. Without H/sub 2/ processing, the devices exhibited lower efficiencies and were unstable. Type conversion of the InP was shown to occur and was established as being associated with the ITO (possibly due to Sn donors) rather than sputter damage. These improvements in performance have resulted from the optimization of the doping, thickness, transport, and surface properties of the /ital p/-type base, as well as from better control over the ITO deposition procedure.
- Research Organization:
- Solar Energy Research Institute, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, Colorado 80401(US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-83CH10093
- OSTI ID:
- 6111361
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States), Vol. 54:26
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
INDIUM OXIDES
PERFORMANCE
INDIUM PHOSPHIDES
SOLAR CELLS
TIN OXIDES
CRYSTAL DOPING
DC SYSTEMS
EFFICIENCY
MAGNETRONS
MODIFICATIONS
N-TYPE CONDUCTORS
OPTIMIZATION
P-TYPE CONDUCTORS
SPUTTERING
SURFACE PROPERTIES
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
CHALCOGENIDES
DIMENSIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRON TUBES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE TUBES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHIDES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PNICTIDES
POWER SYSTEMS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TIN COMPOUNDS
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion