Gallium arsenide thin films on tungsten/graphite substrates: Phase II. Topical report: thin film gallium arsenide solar cells on tungsten/graphite substrates
The use of a thin film of gallium arsenide on a low cost substrate appears to be a promising approach for the fabrication of low-cost high-efficiency solar cells. Gallium arsenide films have been deposited on tungsten/graphite substrates at 775/sup 0/C by the reaction of gallium, hydrogen chloride, and arsine in a gas flow system. The deposited films are essentially polycrystalline with an average crystallite size of about 10 ..mu..m. Without intentional doping, the deposited films are n-type with carrier concentrations in the range of 2 x 10/sup 16/ to 8 x 10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/ at room temperature. N-type gallium arsenide films of higher dopant concentrations can be readily deposited by using hydrogen sulfide as a dopant. The MOS approach has been used for the preparation of solar cells. After the successive deposition of n/sup +/- and n-gallium arsenide films on a tungsten/graphite substrate, the surface of the film was oxidized in situ with an argon-oxygen mixture and in some cases, followed by a water vapor treatment at room temperature. The gold barrier and silver grid contacts were applied by evaporation. An antireflection coating of titanium dioxide was deposited at 80 to 100/sup 0/C by the hydrolysis of tetraisopropyl titanate in an argon atmosphere. A number of large area (6 to 9 cm/sup 2/) solar cells have been prepared, and the best cells have an AM1 efficiency of about 5.5%.
- Research Organization:
- Southern Methodist Univ., Dallas, TX (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF01284
- OSTI ID:
- 6299199
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/SF/01284-T3; ON: DE81027717
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Gallium arsenide thin films on tungsten/graphite substrates. Phase II. Quarterly project report No. 2, December 1, 1977-February 28, 1978
Gallium arsenide thin films on tungsten/graphite substrates. Phase II. Quarterly project report No. 1, September 1-November 30, 1977
Related Subjects
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CARBON
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COATING
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
COATINGS
CRYSTAL DOPING
CRYSTALS
DEPOSITION
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DIMENSIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
GOLD
GRAPHITE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
LENGTH
MATERIALS
METALS
MOS SOLAR CELLS
N-TYPE CONDUCTORS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PNICTIDES
POLYCRYSTALS
REFRACTORY METALS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILVER
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTRAL RESPONSE
SUBSTRATES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE COATING
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TITANIUM OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNGSTEN