NBSDOE Workshop, stability of (thin film) solar cells and materials

Abstract

A workshop was held to discuss what needs to be done to achieve and measure long term stability of terrestrial solar cells using thin film materials and device technologies. Under this theme, researchers in the field and invited speakers from related device technologies presented papers and took part in discussions related to solar cells of the following three material groupings: (1) Cu 2 S/ [CdZn] S , Cu-ternaries/CdS , InP/CdS, and amorphous Si; (2) polycrystall ine , metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS), and conducting-oxide Si; and (3) polycrystall ine and antiref lection-coated metal-oxide-semiconductor (AMOS) GaAs. This workshop report contains the 18 papers presented and the reports of three discussion groups; it also includes a section on the highlights of these papers and reports. The many needs identified by the workshop participants can be organized into two general areas of work to be done. One area of work is in the development of an improved understanding of cell operation and of component structures of these cells. The other is in the development of an improved measurements base.