Photovoltaic converters based on three-layer semiconductor heterostructures

The replacement of the intermediate insulator layer of MIS and SIS thin-film polycrystalline solar cells by a semiconductor layer is considered. The physical limitations and fabrication problems imposed by insulator layers are reviewed, and performance data for Cu(1.8)S-CdTe heterojunction solar cells with and without a 10-nm-thick intermediate layer of p-type Se (Eg = 1.6 eV) are compared in graphs. The addition of the Se layer is shown to increase the cell sensitivity over most of the spectral range (400-900 nm) without affecting the current-voltage characteristics.