The development of thin-film photovoltaic applications based structures on cuinse2 within the triple helix model

Abstract

This work concentrates on the rewiew of the study of the photoelectrical phenomena of thin films for solar cells and also show the search of a new physical effects, which may be the basis for the development of new technologies, diagnostic methods, new types of photoconverters, and devices on these multinary semiconductors. Solar cells which based on silicon or binary III–V semiconductor compounds and their solid solutions successfully fulfilled their role as the first energy sources in outer space in the 1950s–1990s. Since 1997, technological development has been carried out for amorphous Si, CdTe thin film polycristal and CuInSe₂ (CIS) solar cells in the thin film solar cell family. Thin film solar cells based on CuInSe₂ and the related materials heretofore have been studied only for the aims of creating efficiencies. Complex physical and technological studies of the thin film solar cells on the basis chalcogenide chalcopyrite materials have made it possible to create devices with high radiation hardness and efficiencies as high as 18% [1-4]. At the same time, basic studies aimed to speed up film deposition is conducted from the aspect of material and substrate technologies for further cost reductions. For CIS solar cells research and development efforts continue to establish both element technologies necessary for the improvement in product quality and efficiency and large-area film fabrication technologies as essential part of the solar cell production process. This study was supported by the contract “Research and Development of Deposition System for CIGS Solar Cell” signed by the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute (Russian Academy of Sciences).