Studies to Improve the Efficiency of Cu₂S-CdS Spray Solar Cells

Summary

The research on Cu₂S-CdS sprayed solar cells were dispatched between the following different French laboratories:

• L.E.A.A.: Laboratoire d’Electrochimie Analytique et Appliquée, ENSCP (Paris, J. Vedel)

• CRPCSS: Centre de Recherches sur la Physico-Chimie des Surfaces Solides (Mulhouse, J. Lahaye)

• L. P.: Laboratoire de Photoélectricité (Marseille, S. Martinuzzi)

• C. E. M.: Centre d’Electronique de Montpellier (Montpellier,M.Savelli).

Within a pilot plant framework, 25 Cu₂S-CdS cells of back-wall structure were made in each run by the spray technique. The substrate of each cell is 2cm × 2cm × 0.2cm. We first describe the fabrication process of each compound thin film; a review is then given of their chief optical and electrical properties. On unencapsulated cells, for 1 cm² area and under 100 mW cm⁻² illumination we obtained a statistical mean efficiency of 6%, the best result being 8%. After that, in the monoglass encapsulation we present the results obtained, then the first stability tests are given.