Study of semiconductor candidates for terrestrial thin-film photovoltaic solar energy conversion
In the first part, cadmium sulfide/indium phosphide heterostructures were fabricated by evaporating n-type cadmium sulfide onto p-type indium phosphide films grown at the Electronics Research Center of Rockwell International by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) either on single crystal lnP, or on zinc-doped gallium arsenide films deposited by MOCVD on molybdenum and glass. The best efficiencies obtained were 4.6% for the epitaxial films, and 1.4% for the polycrystalline films (compared with 7.5% for a junction formed on single crystal lnP). In the second part, p-type cadmium telluride films deposited on glass by Menezes at the University of Mexico by hot-wall flash evaporation were studied. Typical films were highly resistive; attempts to lower the resistivity led to nonstoichiometric films. Observed electrical characteristics could be explained in terms of conductive tellurium pathways in a resistive CdTe matrix. In the third and major part, the phenomena occurring at the surface of bulk polycrystalline zinc phosphide and at interfaces of zinc phosphide based devices were investigated so that photovoltaic performance could be improved.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford Univ., CA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 7228954
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
FABRICATION
CADMIUM TELLURIDE SOLAR CELLS
INDIUM PHOSPHIDE SOLAR CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
ZINC PHOSPHIDE SOLAR CELLS
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
INTERFACES
THIN FILMS
CHEMICAL COATING
CONVERSION
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SURFACE COATING
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture