High-efficiency thin-film GaAs solar cells. Interim report No. 1, 1 Jan--31 Mar 1976

Technical Report · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7119592

Stirn, R J; Yeh, Y C.M.; Ernest, F P

A program to develop gallium arsenide (GaAs) thin films with grain sizes suitable for low-cost high-efficiency solar cell application has been initiated. The approach is a recrystallization of evaporated thin germanium (Ge) films on low-cost metal substrates by means of scanning focused beams of energy using quartz-iodide lamps, lasers, and electron sources. The layer of Ge will then be used as a substrate for chemical vapor deposition of GaAs using either the organometallic or halide transport techniques. The materials cost of thin-film GaAs solar cells are predicted for a silicon steel substrate and a nickel/iron substrate. Also discussed is a design for the recrystallization apparatus, a low-cost profilometer which has been built for surface roughness and layer thickness measurements, a modification in the Vac-Ion evaporation system which allows a considerably higher throughput for AMOS solar cell fabrication and plans for the following period.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7119592
• Report Number(s): PB-255821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CHEMICAL COATING
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
FILMS
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
GERMANIUM
METALS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PLANNING
PNICTIDES
RECRYSTALLIZATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SOLAR CELLS
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE COATING