II-VI photovoltaic heterojunctions for solar energy conversion
Abstract
Several different II-VI heterojunctions show possible promise for photovoltaic conversion of solar energy. Two of these are p-CdTe/n-CdS and p-CdTe/n-Zn0.35Cd0.65S, which have a maximum solar efficiency of 17 and 23%, respectively. We report here specifically on the properties of p-CdTe/n-CdS cells prepared (a) by close-spaced vapor transport of CdTe onto single-crystal CdS, and (b) by two-source vacuum evaporation of CdS onto single-crystal CdTe. Cells with efficiency of 4.0% have been produced without detailed attention to optimization of cell design; these cells have quantum efficiencies as high as 0.85.
- Publication:
-
Applied Physics Letters
- Pub Date:
- November 1974
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.1655329
- Bibcode:
- 1974ApPhL..25..605F
- Keywords:
-
- Energy Conversion Efficiency;
- P-N Junctions;
- Photovoltaic Cells;
- Solar Energy Conversion;
- Cadmium Sulfides;
- Cadmium Tellurides;
- Epitaxy;
- Heterogeneity;
- Microstructure;
- Optimization;
- Single Crystals;
- Vacuum Deposition;
- Zinc;
- Solid-State Physics