Production and evaluation of a-GaAs solar cells. Final technical report, August 1, 1979-July 31, 1980 [electronic resource].

Published:: Washington, D.C. : United States. Dept. of Energy, 1980.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Physical Description:: Pages: 51 : digital, PDF file
Additional Creators:: Harvard University, United States. Department of Energy, and United States. Department of Energy. Office of Scientific and Technical Information

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Summary:

Alloys of GaAs with hydrogen have been prepared both by rf sputtering in argon and by glow discharge decomposition of mixtures of AsH/sub 3/ and Ga(CH/sub 3/)/sub 3/. Many deposition parameters have been systematically varied: argon pressure, hydrogen pressure, substrate temperature, and sputtering rf power. Among the characterizational methods employed have been x-ray diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and hydrogen evolution. The properties measured, usually on co-deposited samples, included conductivity and thermopower as a function of temperature, optical absorption edge, vibrational optical absorption in the infrared, Raman scattering, electron spin resonance and photoconductivity. Samples constructed in Schottky barrier configurations were also studied and capacitance-voltage, field effect and photoluminescence experiments carried out. The possibility of doping with Si, and of temperature stabilization by various means was explored. Finally, the production of many samples over the wide variety of preparational conditions, their fundamental properties as indicated, and the usual device studies were evaluated in toto in order to assess the present potential of a-GaAs:H for solar cells. It was concluded that this material probably shares with other hydrogenated binary compounds the fundamental flaw that, despite clear signs of the effects of hydrogen in reducing the density of gap states, there still remains too high a density for viable devices to emerge. Suggestions are made for new studies likely to clarify the present difficulties.

Report Numbers:

E 1.99:doe/et/23036-4
doe/et/23036-4

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Note:

Published through SciTech Connect.
10/01/1980.
"doe/et/23036-4"
Paul, W.

Funding Information:

AC03-79ET23036

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