1. Thin-film photovoltaic partnership -- Apollo{reg{underscore}sign} thin film process development: Phase 1 Technical Report, May 1998--April 1999
- Author
-
D.E. Skinner and D.W. Cunningham
- Subjects
Materials science ,business.industry ,Photovoltaics ,Photovoltaic system ,Optoelectronics ,Production (computer science) ,Nanotechnology ,Thin film ,business ,Solar energy ,Energy (signal processing) ,Deposition (law) ,Cadmium telluride photovoltaics - Abstract
The objective of this Phase 1 subcontract was to establish an efficient production plating system capable of depositing thin-film CdTe and CdS on substrates up to 0.55 m{sup 2}. This baseline would then be used to build on and extend deposition areas to 0.94 m{sup 2} in the next two phases. The following achievements have been demonstrated: {sm{underscore}bullet} Chemical-bath deposition of CdS and electrochemical deposition of CdTe was demonstrated on 0.55 m{sup 2} substrates. The films were characterized using optical and electrical techniques, to increase the understanding of the materials and aid in loss analysis. {sm{underscore}bullet} A stand-alone, prototype CdTe reaction tank was built and commissioned, allowing the BP Solar team to perform full-scale trials as part of this subcontract. {sm{underscore}bullet} BP Solar installed two outdoor systems for reliability and performance testing. {sm{underscore}bullet} The 2-kW, ground-mounted, grid-connected system contains seventy-two 0.43-m{sup 2} Apollo{reg{underscore}sign} module interconnects. {sm{underscore}bullet} Two modules have been supplied to NREL for evaluation on their Performance and Energy Rating Test bed (PERT) for kWh evaluation. {sm{underscore}bullet} BP Solar further characterized the process waste stream with the aim to close-loop the system. Currently, various pieces of equipment are being investigated for suitability of particle and total organic compound removal.
- Published
- 1999
- Full Text
- View/download PDF