Spray solar cell research: CdS/Cu/sub 2/S cells by ion exchange-CSD. Fifth quarterly report, September 1-November 30, 1980

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6518148

Maruska, H P; Young, II, A R

Work was concentrated mainly in the areas of CdS resistivity and junction formation. The film resistivity was lowered to less than 100 ..cap omega..-cm by adding several grams at. % of In/sup 3 +/ to the starting spray solution. Dark mobilities of these films were about 10 cm/sup 2//V-sec, which can increase to about 50 cm/sup 2//V-sec under illumination. Apparatus was set up to allow the vacuum evaporation of cuprous halides onto the converted CdS films, followed by in situ vacuum heat treatments. Evaporated films of CuCl proved to be air sensitive, as expected, but CuI did not. Black films of copper sulfide formed after heat treatment in our system showed the x-ray diffraction pattern of Cu/sub 2/S (chalcocite). However, all of the finished cells that we have fabricated to date have disappointingly poor characteristics. In some cases, it was found that the Cu/sub 2/S had penetrated through the CdS film to the back contact. This problem appears to have been overcome by evaporating less CuI, s that the Cu/sub 2/S layer is only about 0.2 micron thick. the highest open circuit voltage achieved for these new cells was 0.42V, but the current was very low (less than microamps). Additional heat treatments in vacuum so far have only served to decrease V/sub oc/.

• Research Organization: Exxon Research and Engineering Co., Linden, NJ (USA). Advanced Energy Systems Labs.
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 6518148
• Report Number(s): SERI/PR-8104-1-T1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
ALLOYS
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CARRIER MOBILITY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COATINGS
COHERENT SCATTERING
COPPER CHLORIDES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER HALIDES
COPPER IODIDES
COPPER SULFIDES
CRYSTAL DOPING
DEPOSITION
DIFFRACTION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAT TREATMENTS
INDIUM ADDITIONS
INDIUM ALLOYS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
IODIDES
IODINE COMPOUNDS
MOBILITY
PERFORMANCE
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCATTERING
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPRAY COATING
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE COATING
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VACUUM COATING
VAPOR DEPOSITED COATINGS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION