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High-Efficiency Triple-Junction Amorphous Silicon Alloy Photovoltaic Technology

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High-Efficiency Triple-Junction Amorphous Silicon Alloy Photovoltaic Technology July 1999 • NREL/SR-520-26648 High-Efficiency Triple-Junction Amorphous Silicon Alloy Photovoltaic Technology Annual Technical Progress Report 6 March 1998 — 5 March 1999 S. Guha United Solar Systems Corp. Troy, Michigan National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3393 NREL is a U.S. Department of Energy Laboratory Operated by Midwest Research Institute ••• Battelle ••• Bechtel Contract No. DE-AC36-98-GO10337 July 1999 • NREL/SR-520-26648 High-Efficiency Triple-Junction Amorphous Silicon Alloy Photovoltaic Technology Annual Technical Progress Report 6 March 1998 — 5 March 1999 S. Guha United Solar Systems Corp. Troy, Michigan NREL Technical Monitor: K. Zweibel Prepared under Subcontract No. ZAK-8-17619-09 National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3393 NREL is a U.S. Department of Energy Laboratory Operated by Midwest Research Institute ••• Battelle ••• Bechtel Contract No. DE-AC36-98-GO10337 NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. Available to DOE and DOE contractors from: Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) P.O. Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Prices available by calling 423-576-8401 Available to the public from: National Technical Information Service (NTIS) U.S. Department of Commerce 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 703-605-6000 or 800-553-6847 or DOE Information Bridge http://www.doe.gov/bridge/home.html Printed on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste Preface This Annual Subcontract Report covers the work performed by United Solar Systems Corp. for the period March 6, 1998 to March 5, 1999 under DOE/NREL Subcontract No. ZAK-8-17619-09. The following personnel participated in the research program. A. Banerjee, E. Chen, J. Edens, T. Glatfelter, S. Guha (Principal Investigator), G. Hammond, M. Hopson, N. Jackett, K. Lord, A. Mohsin, J. Noch, T. Palmer, D. Wolf, B. Yan, J. Yang, and K. Younan. Collaboration with the Colorado School of Mines, University of Oregon, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. is acknowledged. We would like to thank V. Trudeau for preparation of this report. i Table of Contents P ag e Preface i Table of Contents ii List of Figures iv List of Tables vi Executive Summary 1 Section 1 Introduction 4 Section 2 Amorphous Silicon Alloy Materials and Solar Cells Near The Threshold of Microcrystallinity 5 I nt ro duc ti on 5 Ex peri mental Res ult s an d Disc uss io n 5 Su mmary 19 Sec tion 3 St at us of Smal l Ar ea Comp onen t and Mul ti j unct io n Cel ls Dep osite d wi th RF and MVHF at 3- 5 Å/ s 22 I nt ro duc ti on 22 St at us of 3 Å/ s RF a- Si Al l oy So la r Cel l s 22 Mod if i ed Ve ry -Hi gh -Freq uen cy Pl as ma En han ced Che mi cal Va por Dep os iti on (MVHF- PEC VD): Pl as ma Pr ope rt i es an d So la r Cel l Dep os iti on 23 Com par ison of the St ab ili ty of RF an d MVHF a- Si Al l oy So la r Cel l s 36 ii P ag e Sec tion 4 St at us of Amor pho us Sili con Al lo y Comp onen t and Mul tij unct io n Cel ls and Modu le s Dep osite d i n a Lar ge- Ar ea Rea cto r 38 I nt rod ucti on 38 Dev i ce Fa bric at ion an d Mea sureme nt 38 Stab il i ty St ud ie s 39 Resul t s of Com pon ent Cel l s 39 Resul t s of Tr ip le -j un ct io n Cel l s 42 Mod ule Res ul t s 48 NRE L Mea sur eme nt of Mod ules 54 New Wor ld Recor d St ab le 10 .5 % Mod ule Ef f ic ie ncy 55 Su mmar y of La rg e-a re a Res ul t s 60 La rg e-a re a Pr ot otyp e Mod ules 60 I EEE St d 12 62- 19 95 Qua li f icat io n of Mod ules 61 Sec tion 5 Fut ur e Di rec ti ons 67 Refer ence s 68 iii List of Figures P a ge 1. Hydro gen ev ol utio n sp ect r a f or (a) t he l ow di l ut io n an d ( b) t he hi gh di l ut io n sa mpl es . 7 2. Deu te rium evol ut io n sp ect r um f ro m t he de ut er ated sa mple. 8 3. Ram an sp ect r a ve rs us hy droge n di l ut io n of f our sa mpl es: ( a) no di l ut io n, ( b) l ow di l ut io n, ( c) med iu m di l ut io n, an d ( d) hi gh di l ut io n. 9 4. Sc hema tic di ag ra m of four so la r ce ll st r uct ur es : (a) si ng le , ( b) sa me ba ndg ap do uble, ( c) du al ba ndg ap do ubl e, an d ( d) t ripl e j unc tion s. 11 5. I ni tial J- V ch ar ac te ri sti c of an a- Si Ge al l oy p i n so la r ce ll . 13 6. I ni ti al J- V ch aract er i st ic of t he 14 .6 % t ri pl e- ju nct i on ce ll . 15 7. Qua nt um eff icie ncy of the de vi ce sh own i n Fi g. 6. 16 8. I ni tial J- V ch ar act er i stic of t he 15 .2 % tri pl e- ju nct i on ce ll . 17 9. Quan tu m ef f ic ie ncy of t he de vi ce sh own i n Fi g. 8. 18 10 . I ni tial J- V ch ar act er i st ic of an a- Si al l oy t op ce ll de posit ed at ~1 Å/ s. 20 11 . I ni tial J- V ch ar act er i stic of an a- Si al l oy t op ce ll de pos it ed at ~8 Å / s by MVHF . 21 12 . En erg y dist r ib ut io n of po si ti ve i ons r eached t he su bst r at e i n a H2 pl as ma exci te d by 75 MHz VHF . 24 13 . Po si tive i on en er gy di str ib utio n of a H2 pl as ma exci te d by 13 .5 6 MHz RF. 25 14 . Com par is on of the po si ti ve i on en ergy di st r ib ut io n of pu re H2 pl as ma an d pl asma wi th H 2 an d Si H4 mi xt ur e. 27 15 . I on en er gy dist r ib ut io n wi th t wo VHF po wers f or a H2 pl as ma at 0. 1 t or r. 28 16 . I on en ergy di st r ib ut io n wi th t wo RF po wer s f or a H2 pl as ma at 0. 1 t or r. 29 17 . Cha ra cter is tic pa ra met er s f or a- Si al l oy so lar ce ll s mad e at di f fe re nt Si H4 f lo w r ates. 33 iv P a ge 18 . Fi l l f act or s of a- Si Ge al l oy so la r ce ll s on SS as a f uncti on of H2 f lo w r at e. 34 19 . Fi l l f act or s of a- Si Ge al l oy so la r ce ll s on BR as a f uncti on of H2 f lo w r ate. 35 20 . I ni tial J- V ch ar act er i st ic of a t ri pl e- ju nct i on de vi ce of ef f icie ncy 14 .5 %. 44 21 . I ni tial Q ch ar act er i st ic of t he ce ll sh own i n Fig.
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