Polycrystalline thin film materials and devices

Results and conclusions of Phase 1 of a multi-year research program on polycrystalline thin film solar cells are presented. The research comprised investigation of the relationships among processing, materials properties and device performance of both CuInSe2 and CdTe solar cells. The kinetics of the formation of CuInSe2 by selenization with hydrogen selenide was investigated and a CuInSe2/Cds solar cell was fabricated. An alternative process involving the reaction of deposited copper-indium-selenium layers was used to obtain single phase CuInSe2 films and a cell efficiency of 7 percent. Detailed investigations of the open circuit voltage of CuInSe2 solar cells showed that a simple Shockley-Read-Hall recombination mechanism can not account for the limitations in open circuit voltage. Examination of the influence of CuInSe2 thickness on cell performance indicated that the back contact behavior has a significant effect when the CuInSe2 is less than 1 micron thick. CdTe/CdS solar cells with efficiencies approaching 10 percent can be repeatedly fabricated using physical vapor deposition and serial post deposition processing. The absence of moisture during post deposition was found to be critical. Improvements in short circuit current of CdTe solar cells to levels approaching 25 mA/cm(exp 2) are achievable by making the CdS window layer thinner. Further reductions in the CdS window layer thickness are presently limited by interdiffusion between the CdS and the CdTe. CdTe/CdS cells stored without protection from the atmosphere were found to degrade. The degradation was attributed to the metal contact. CdTe cells with ZnTe:Cu contacts to the CdTe were found to be more stable than cells with metal contacts. Analysis of current-voltage and spectral response of CdTe/CdS cells indicates the cell operates as a p-n heterojunction with the diode current dominated by SRH recombination in the junction region of the CdTe.