Cadmium sulfide-copper sulfide heterojunction cell research. Final report, September 1, 1978-August 31, 1979

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6428456· OSTI ID:6428456

Research on the planar CdS/Cu/sub 2/S cell to increase the short circuit currents to the levels achieved with the 9.15% textured cell is given. It was established early in the contract that light trapping is essential for high currents and a front surface texturing process has been developed to achieve this. As a result, short circuit currents have been raised to over 21.0 mA/cm/sup 2/. The highest efficiency achieved with the planar junction cell during the contract was 7.81%. Cells heat treated to their highest short circuit currents have shown fill factors below the design requirement of about 74% thus putting a limit on achievable efficiency. Progress has been made on improving the performance of the (CdZn)S/Cu/sub 2/S again with the major emphasis being on improved short circuit currents. Modifying the CdZn/S deposition procedure has resulted in considerably improved short circuit currents to over 21 mA/Cm/sup 2/, and a cell efficiency of 8.19% has been recorded. Fundamental studies have focused on the influence of substrate composition and heat treatment on junction field and collection efficiency. Quantitative analysis has been carried out of the optimal material parameters required to maximize energy converson efficiency. It has been shown a relatively narrow range of properties in the CdS and Cu/sub 2/S is necessary to achieve the highest efficiencies. The encapsulation task has focused on trial depositions of glass applied by electron beam evaporation.

• Research Organization: Delaware Univ., Newark (USA). Inst. of Energy Conversion
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 6428456
• Report Number(s): SERI/TR-8063-1-T2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
AGING
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CAPACITANCE
CARRIER DENSITY
CHALCOGENIDES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER SULFIDES
CURRENTS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ENCAPSULATION
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILL FACTORS
GLASS
HEAT TREATMENTS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
JUNCTIONS
LUMINESCENCE
MORPHOLOGY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PERFORMANCE
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
REFLECTIVITY
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTRAL RESPONSE
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TEXTURE
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRAPS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC SULFIDES