A NEW COFFER-INDIUM-SELENIUM BASED PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL WITH AN ELECTROCHEMICALLY FORMED WINDOW

EFFORTS AT UTILIZING THE OPTIMUM PHOTOVOLTAIC PROPERTIES OF CUINSE2 HAVE BEEN FOCUSSED ON THE P-CUINSE2/N-CDS CELL PRIMARILY DUE TO LACK OF AN APPROPRIATE WINDOW MATERIAL FOR THE N-CUINSE2. WE PROPOSE TO FABRICATE A NEW N-CUINSE2 BASED SOLAR CELL WITH A P-CUIN2SE3I/CUISE3 WINDOW. THE NEW WINDOW WILL BE ELECTROCHEMICALLY GROWN ON N-CUINSE2 IN I -12-CUI-HI SOLUTION, OHMIC CONTACTED WITH A SUITABLE CONDUCTOR AND FABRICATED INTO A SOLID STATE SOLAR CELL. THECELL WILL BE ELECTRO-OPTICALLY CHARACTERIZED AND PROCESS PARAMETERS OPTIMIZED TO YIELD MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT. IN ADDITION TO PROCESSING AND COST ADVANTAGES EXPECTED FROM AN ELECTROCHEMICAL APPROACH TO HETEROJUNCTION FORMATION SEVERAL OTHER BENEFITS ARE ANTICIPATED FOR THE PROPOSED CELLOVER THE PRESENT P-CUINSE2/N-CDS CELL. IMPROVED ADHESION TOITO/GLASS SUBSTRATE, OPTIMUM LATTICE MATCH BETWEEN CUINSE2 AND THE CUIN2SE3I TRANSITION LAYER, HIGHER MOBILITY OF ELECTRONS IN N-TYPE ABSORBER, GREATER STABILITY DUE TO SIMILAR COMPONENTS (EXCEPT I) ON BOTH SIDES OF THE JUNCTION SHOULD LEAD TO A MORE EFFICIENT AND STABLE SOLAR CELL.