LIGHT-WEIGHT, FLEXIBLE THIN FILM SOLAR CELLS FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

THE EVER-INCREASING POWER DEMANDS OF SPACE MISSIONS REQUIRE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS AND MODULES WITH HIGH SPECIFIC POWER AND GOOD STABILITY. THIN-FILM DEVICES THAT CAN BE ECONOMICALLY FABRICATED ON LIGHTWEIGHT SUBSTRATES ARE OF GREAT INTEREST FOR THESE APPLICATIONS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP HIGH EFFICIENCY, THIN-FILM CULNSE2 (CIS) SOLAR CELLS. BOTH FLEXIBLE-FOIL AND THIN-GLASS SUBSTRATES WILL BE USED IN THIS WORK, AND 1 CM(2)CELLS WITH 9 PERCENT AMO EFFICIENCIES WILL BE FABRICATED USING THE TWO-STAGE PROCESS (SELENIZATION OF CU/LN METALLIC LAYERS). CIS THIN-FILM SOLAR CELLS OFFER THE POTENTIAL FOR 16 PERCENT EFFICIENCY, AND THESE DEVICES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHOWN TO BE SUPERIOR TO SI CELLS IN TERMS OF THEIR RADIATION RESISTANCE. THE EVER-INCREASING POWER DEMANDS OF SPACE MISSIONS REQUIRE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS AND MODULES WITH HIGH SPECIFIC POWER AND GOOD STABILITY. THIN-FILM DEVICES THAT CAN BE ECONOMICALLY FABRICATED ON LIGHTWEIGHT SUBSTRATES ARE OF GREAT INTEREST FOR THESE APPLICATIONS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP HIGH EFFICIENCY, THIN-FILM CULNSE2 (CIS) SOLAR CELLS. BOTH FLEXIBLE-FOIL AND THIN-GLASS SUBSTRATES WILL BE USED IN THIS WORK, AND 1 CM(2)CELLS WITH 9 PERCENT AMO EFFICIENCIES WILL BE FABRICATED USING THE TWO-STAGE PROCESS (SELENIZATION OF CU/LN METALLIC LAYERS). CIS THIN-FILM SOLAR CELLS OFFER THE POTENTIAL FOR 16 PERCENT EFFICIENCY, AND THESE DEVICES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHOWN TO BE SUPERIOR TO SI CELLS IN TERMS OF THEIR RADIATION RESISTANCE.