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Title: Cadmium sulfide/copper selenide cell research copper selenide-based thin film solar cells. Second quarterly technical progress report, September 1, 1980-December 1, 1980

Abstract

The objective of this program is to investigate the use of Cu/sub 2-x/Se to produce low cost, high efficiency photovoltaic solar cells. The Cu/sub 2-x/Se films are produced by coevaporation of Cu and Se from separate, individually controlled vapor sources onto heated glass substrates. This method gives greater composition controllability and is readily adaptable to large scale production efforts. Two quartz crystal microbalances are used to separately monitor the Cu and Se deposition rates. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the Cu/sub 2-x/Se films have been measured for deposits made on 250/sup 0/C substrates. The optical absorption measurements show the material having an indirect band gap of 1.4 eV and a direct gap of 2.2 eV. These values are for stoichiometric indices in the range of 0.17 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.26. Hall and conductivity measurements give hole mobilities in the range of 3 to 7 cm/sup 2//Vsec and hole densities of the order of 4 x 10/sup 22/ cm/sup -3/. For deposits made on substrate at 160/sup 0/C, the mobility is in the range of 3 to 10 cm/sup 2//Vsec and hole densities on the order of 10/sup 18/ to 10/supmore » 21/ cm/sup -3/ for 0.1 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.3. To date, the best cell has photovoltaic characteristics of J/sub sc/ = 11.6 mA/cm/sup 2/, V/sub oc/ = 460 mV, F.F. = 0.62 and eta = 3.3% when tested under simulated AM1 illumination. In an effort to improve cell performance, low resistance CdS was used. Cell performance degraded considerably with the low resistance CdS resulting in substantially lower values for both V/sub oc/ and I/sub sc/. It is believed in part that this difficulty can be traced to pinhole defects in the ITO electrode. When the low resistance CdS is deposited on ITO, regions in the CdS appear to be high in Cd where pinholes in the ITO were observed.« less

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
6890611
Report Number(s):
SERI/PR-9216-1-T2
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-77CH00178
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS; FABRICATION; PERFORMANCE; COPPER SELENIDES; ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; VAPOR PLATING; CADMIUM SULFIDES; CARRIER DENSITY; CARRIER MOBILITY; COPPER; CRYSTAL DEFECTS; CRYSTAL STRUCTURE; DATA; ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY; ELECTRIC CONTACTS; ENERGY GAP; EVAPORATION; FILL FACTORS; GRAPHS; HALL EFFECT; HOLES; INDIUM OXIDES; POLYCRYSTALS; SELENIUM; TIN OXIDES; CADMIUM COMPOUNDS; CHALCOGENIDES; COPPER COMPOUNDS; CRYSTALS; DEPOSITION; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS; ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT; ELEMENTS; EQUIPMENT; INDIUM COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; INORGANIC PHOSPHORS; METALS; MOBILITY; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS; PHOSPHORS; PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS; PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PLATING; SELENIDES; SELENIUM COMPOUNDS; SEMIMETALS; SOLAR CELLS; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; SULFIDES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; SURFACE COATING; TIN COMPOUNDS; TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS; TRANSITION ELEMENTS; 140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion; 360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture; 360603 - Materials- Properties

Citation Formats

Sauve', S. P., Mickelsen, R. A., Stewart, J. M., and Chen, W. S. Cadmium sulfide/copper selenide cell research copper selenide-based thin film solar cells. Second quarterly technical progress report, September 1, 1980-December 1, 1980. United States: N. p., 1980. Web. doi:10.2172/6890611.
Sauve', S. P., Mickelsen, R. A., Stewart, J. M., & Chen, W. S. Cadmium sulfide/copper selenide cell research copper selenide-based thin film solar cells. Second quarterly technical progress report, September 1, 1980-December 1, 1980. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6890611
Sauve', S. P., Mickelsen, R. A., Stewart, J. M., and Chen, W. S. 1980. "Cadmium sulfide/copper selenide cell research copper selenide-based thin film solar cells. Second quarterly technical progress report, September 1, 1980-December 1, 1980". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6890611. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6890611.
@article{osti_6890611,
title = {Cadmium sulfide/copper selenide cell research copper selenide-based thin film solar cells. Second quarterly technical progress report, September 1, 1980-December 1, 1980},
author = {Sauve', S. P. and Mickelsen, R. A. and Stewart, J. M. and Chen, W. S.},
abstractNote = {The objective of this program is to investigate the use of Cu/sub 2-x/Se to produce low cost, high efficiency photovoltaic solar cells. The Cu/sub 2-x/Se films are produced by coevaporation of Cu and Se from separate, individually controlled vapor sources onto heated glass substrates. This method gives greater composition controllability and is readily adaptable to large scale production efforts. Two quartz crystal microbalances are used to separately monitor the Cu and Se deposition rates. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the Cu/sub 2-x/Se films have been measured for deposits made on 250/sup 0/C substrates. The optical absorption measurements show the material having an indirect band gap of 1.4 eV and a direct gap of 2.2 eV. These values are for stoichiometric indices in the range of 0.17 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.26. Hall and conductivity measurements give hole mobilities in the range of 3 to 7 cm/sup 2//Vsec and hole densities of the order of 4 x 10/sup 22/ cm/sup -3/. For deposits made on substrate at 160/sup 0/C, the mobility is in the range of 3 to 10 cm/sup 2//Vsec and hole densities on the order of 10/sup 18/ to 10/sup 21/ cm/sup -3/ for 0.1 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.3. To date, the best cell has photovoltaic characteristics of J/sub sc/ = 11.6 mA/cm/sup 2/, V/sub oc/ = 460 mV, F.F. = 0.62 and eta = 3.3% when tested under simulated AM1 illumination. In an effort to improve cell performance, low resistance CdS was used. Cell performance degraded considerably with the low resistance CdS resulting in substantially lower values for both V/sub oc/ and I/sub sc/. It is believed in part that this difficulty can be traced to pinhole defects in the ITO electrode. When the low resistance CdS is deposited on ITO, regions in the CdS appear to be high in Cd where pinholes in the ITO were observed.},
doi = {10.2172/6890611},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6890611}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980},
month = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980}
}