Cadmium sulfide--copper sulfide heterojunction cell research. Technical progress report No. 3, 1 March 1978--31 May 1978

Technical Report · Fri Jun 30 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6273997· OSTI ID:6273997

The program objective is to investigate and evaluate the application of cylindrical-post magnetron reactive sputtering to the production of solar cell quality thin films of CdS/Cu/sub 2/S for large scale terrestrial photovoltaic energy conversion. Cominco American has encountered difficulties in maintaining the desired 6-9's purity while casting Cd, Cd--Zn, and Zn sputtering targets over the nickelplated copper mandrels which are used to provide strength to the overall assembly. A major activity has been a systematic study of Cu/sub x/S coatings deposited by reactive sputtering Cu in Ar--H/sub 2/S gas mixtures at various injection rates (partial pressures) of H/sub 2/S. The coatings were deposited on borosilicate glass substrates at substrate temperatures of about 35/sup 0/C and 130/sup 0/C. The coatings were analyzed with respect to electrical, optical, and structural characteristics. Van der Pauw and temperature dependence of resistivity measurements were made on selected films. Optical constants were obtained from transmission and reflection measurements. Structural and compositional measurements were made using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, microprobe, and x-ray energy spectroscopy. For H/sub 2/S partial pressures greater than 1.4 mtorr, it was found that two types of Cu/sub x/S films, i.e., high resistivity and low resistivity, can be deposited on glass substrates using T/sub s/ as the primary control paratmeter. Geneally, the high resistivity films contain Cu-rich nodules which appear to be growing out of the film. Both chalcocite and djurleite phases are present in some films, with djurleite predominant in the low resistivity films.

• Research Organization: Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., Palo Alto, CA (USA). Lockheed Palo Alto Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6273997
• Report Number(s): SAN-1459-3; LMSC-D626523
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COATINGS
COHERENT SCATTERING
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER SULFIDES
DIFFRACTION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
FABRICATION
GLASS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MICROSCOPY
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCATTERING
SOLAR CELLS
SPECTROSCOPY
SPUTTERING
SUBSTRATES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY