摘要:

The direct conversion of sunlight into electricity has been a utopian dream. The ability to generate electricity in this manner is, of course, exciting since it utilizes nondepletable fuel and is nonpolluting. However, since the 1950’s, the approach to accomplish this aim has been primarily through the utilization of expensive crystalline silicon solar cells. We describe here how noncrystalline materials, that is, amorphous materials, can be produced as continuous, large‐area, thin‐film devices with efficiencies, stabilities, and costs which will permit them, for the first time, to compete realistically with conventional fuels such as oil, gas, uranium, and coal.

ISSN:1071-1023    

DOI:10.1116/1.582903

出版商:American Vacuum Society    

年代:1984

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

The commercial‐scale processing potential for photovoltaic devices based on polycrystalline and amorphous silicon thin films is evaluated by analyzing in detail the semiconductor deposition process for the following material layers: (CdZn)S/CuInSe2, CdS/CdTe, (CdZn)S/Cu2S, and amorphous silicon. The current status of both laboratory‐scale and unit‐operations‐scale experiments is tabulated and the goals required for reasonable commercial‐scale production detailed. The costs of manufacture are estimated and it is shown that all thin‐film materials which have achieved 10% efficiency in the laboratory can be manufactured at a cost well below one dollar per watt, provided the manufacturing facilities can be designed to produce between 100 000 and 1 000 000 square meters per year. The critical thin‐film research areas are identified for each of the materials listed above.

ISSN:1071-1023    

DOI:10.1116/1.582904

出版商:American Vacuum Society    

年代:1984

数据来源: AIP