Open AccessProcessing and modeling issues for thin-film solar cell devices. Annual subcontract report, January 16, 1994--January 15, 1995
Author(s) -
R.W. Birkmire,
J. E. Phillips,
W.A. Buchanan,
Steven Hegedus,
Brian E. McCandless,
William N. Shafarman
Publication year - 1995
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/72908
Subject(s) - cadmium telluride photovoltaics , fabrication , solar cell , thin film , materials science , deposition (geology) , copper indium gallium selenide solar cells , layer (electronics) , photovoltaics , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , photovoltaic system , electrical engineering , engineering , medicine , paleontology , alternative medicine , pathology , sediment , biology
This report describes results achieved during the second phase of a four year subcontract to develop and understand thin film solar cell technology related to a-Si and its alloys, CuIn{sub 1{minus}x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2}, and CdTe. Accomplishments during this phase include, development of equations and reaction rates for the formation of CuIn{sub 1{minus}x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} films by selenization, fabrication of a 15% efficient CuIn{sub 1{minus}x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} cell, development of a reproducible, reliable Cu-diffused contact to CdTe, investigation of the role of CdTe-CdS interdiffusion on device operation, investigation of the substitution of HCl for CdCl{sub 2} in the post-deposition heat treatment of CdTe/CdS, demonstration of an improved reactor design for deposition of a-Si films, demonstration of improved process control in the fabrication of a ten set series of runs producing {approximately}8% efficient a-Si devices, demonstration of the utility of a simplified optical model for determining quantity and effect of current generation in each layer of a triple stacked a-Si cell, presentation of analytical and modeling procedures adapted to devices produced with each material system, presentation of baseline parameters for devices produced with each material system, and various investigations of the roles played by other layers in thin film devices including the Mo underlayer, CdS and ZnO in CuIn{sub 1{minus}x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} devices, the CdS in CdTe devices, and the ZnO as window layer and as part of the back surface reflector in a-Si devices. In addition, collaborations with over ten research groups are briefly described. 73 refs., 54 figs., 34 tabs