Indium phosphide/cadmium sulfide thin-film solar cells. Final report, May 1979 through July 1980

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6747590· OSTI ID:6747590

Zanio, K.

Thin-film InP/RXCdS/ITO/GLASS devices were prepared by depositing ITO on low-cost glass substrate, depositing CdS on the ITO by thermal evaporation, increasing the CdS lateral grain size by recrystallization, and depositing p-type InP by planar reactive deposition (PRD) on the recrystallized CdS (RXCdS). Yields of the RXCdS/ITO/GLASS substrates were increased to 90% with lateral dimensions of the RXCdS grains as large as 0.3 mm. P-type InP layers were obtained with Be doping. S-doping via vapor transport from the CdS was eliminated by capping the entire RXCdS substrate with InP. For InP deposited on RXCdS at 380/sup 0/C, devices showed blocking action with a barrier height of about 0.5 V but no light response, possibly due to an intermediate approx. 3-..mu..m-thick n-InP layer from diffusion of S from the RXCdS. These results were achieved despite poor InP epitaxy due to an approx. 0.5-..mu..m-thick In-Cd-S transition layer between the InP and the RXCdS. InP films were subsequently deposited on RXCdS at the reduced substrate temperature of 280/sup 0/C to reduce S-diffusion and improve the quality of the epitaxy. Complete InP epitaxy on RXCdS was achieved with the lateral dimensions of the InP (approx. = 40 ..mu..m) replicating that of the RXCdS. Given the increase in the concentration of n-type native defects as substrate temperature is decreased, the present lower limit for obtaining p-type InP by vacuum technologies appears to be about 300/sup 0/C. A 300 to 350/sup 0/C range of substrate temperature appears to befeasible for preparing large-grained p-type InP for both frontwall and backwall cell. However, if the thickness of the n-type layer due to S diffusion cannot be kept to less than a few thousand Angstroms, then development must be restricted to the frontwall cells.

• Research Organization: Hughes Research Labs., Malibu, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 6747590
• Report Number(s): SERI/TR-8170-1-T2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
EPITAXY
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
GLASS
GRAIN SIZE
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM OXIDES
INDIUM PHOSPHIDE SOLAR CELLS
INDIUM PHOSPHIDES
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
MORPHOLOGY
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
P-TYPE CONDUCTORS
PHOSPHIDES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
RECRYSTALLIZATION
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SIZE
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SUBSTRATES
TIN COMPOUNDS
TIN OXIDES