Development of photoelectrochemical cells based on compound semiconductors and nonaqueous electrolyes. Quarterly technical progress report, August 1, 1980-October 31, 1980

Technical Report · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6620062

Rauh, R D

A solar cell using polyvinylpyrrolidone treated polycrystalline n-GaAs and CH/sub 3/CN, I/sub 3//sup -//I/sup -/ electrolyte achieved a power conversion efficiency of 4.3% with i/sub sc/ = 11.6 mA/cm/sup 2/, V/sub oc/ = -0.485V, P/sub max/ = 2.3 mW/cm/sup 2/, ff = 0.40 at 53.3 mW/cm/sup 2/ Xe arc intensity. A p-GaAs electrode in the same acetonitrile electrolyte gives photovoltages similar to those reported for aqueous HI/I/sub 2/ electrolyte, but the photocurrent decays rapidly with time. Exploratory work on p-Zn/sub 3/P/sub 2/ indicates that nonaqueous electrolytes will probably be required for EPCs based on this semiconductor due to a dark reaction of Zn/sub 3/P/sub 2/ with H/sub 2/O to liberate PH/sub 3/. Stable photoresponse was obtained in CH/sub 3/CN, I/sub 3//sup -//I/sup -/. Optimum thickness of electrodeposited CdSe films on titanium substrates was determined to be >3..mu... Anodization and dipping in ZnCl/sub 2/ solution improves i/sub sc/ and V/sub oc/, respectively, to give electrodes capable of >4% efficiency in aqueous polysulfide at 67 mW/cm/sup 2/ tungsten-iodine lamp intensity. Prototype solar cells of 4 cm/sup 2/ area suffer a reduction in efficiency due to iR drop between the electrodes and counter electrode polarization. The former may be reduced by perforating the photoelectrode. Photoaction spectra of electrodeposited CdSe films have been obtained with a newly constructed apparatus for recording source-corrected photocurrent action spectra of semiconductor electrodes.

• Research Organization: EIC, Inc., Newton, MA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 6620062
• Report Number(s): SERI/PR-8002-7-T1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140505* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion-- (1980-)
ANODES
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SELENIDES
CATHODES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRYSTALS
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
EQUIPMENT
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
IODINE IONS
IONS
MONOCRYSTALS
NITRITES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOANODES
PHOTOCATHODES
PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
PHOTOGALVANIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
POLYCRYSTALS
REDOX REACTIONS
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTRAL RESPONSE