Research on polycrystalline thin-film CuGaInSe{sub 2} solar cells. Annual subcontract report, 3 May 1991--2 May 1992

Technical Report · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10191249· OSTI ID:10191249

Stanbery, B J; Chen, W S; Devaney, W E; Stewart, J W ^[1]

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1. Boeing Co., Seattle, WA (United States). Defense and Space Systems Group

This report describes research to fabricate high-efficiency CdZnS/CuInGaSe{sub 2} (CIGS) thin-film solar cells, and to develop improved transparent conductor window layers such as ZnO. A specific technical milestone was the demonstration of an air mass (AM) 1.5 global, 13% efficient, 1-cm{sup 2}-total-area CIGS thin-film solar cell. Our activities focused on three areas. First, a CIGS deposition: system was modified to double its substrate capacity, thus increasing throughput, which is critical to speeding the process development by providing multiple substrates from the same CIGS run. Second, new tooling was developed to enable an investigation of a modified aqueous CdZnS process. The goal was to improve the yield of this critical step in the device fabrication process. Third, our ZnO sputtering system was upgraded to improve its reliability, and the sputtering parameters were further optimized to improve its properties as a transparent conducting oxide. The characterization of the new CIGS deposition system substrate fixturing was completed, and we produced good thermal uniformity and adequately high temperatures for device-quality CIGS deposition. Both the CIGS and ZnO deposition processes were refined to yield a ZnO//Cd{sub 0.82}Zn{sub 0.18}S/CuIn{sub 0.80}Ga{sub 0.20}Se{sub 2} cell that was verified at NREL under standard testing conditions at 13.1% efficiency with V{sub oc} = 0.581 V, J{sub sc} = 34.8 mA/cm{sup 2}, FF = 0.728, and a cell area of 0.979 cm{sup 2}.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Boeing Co., Seattle, WA (United States). Defense and Space Systems Group
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 10191249
• Report Number(s): NREL/TP-413-5012; ON: DE92016439
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Nov 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
SOLAR CELLS
FABRICATION
PROGRESS REPORT
MATERIALS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
POLYCRYSTALS
THIN FILMS
COPPER
GALLIUM
INDIUM
INDIUM SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS
COPPER SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS
ZINC OXIDES
GALLIUM SELENIDES
INDIUM SELENIDES
COPPER SELENIDES
ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
REFLECTIVITY
140501
360601
360606
PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION
PREPARATION AND MANUFACTURE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES