Copper indium diselenide,

The supplanting of germanium-based semiconductor devices by shicon devices has almost eliminated the use of indium in the related ahoy junction (see Semiconductors). Indium, however, is finding increased use in III—V compound semiconductors such as indium phosphide [22398-80-7] for laser diodes used in fiber optic communication systems (see Electronic materials Fiber optics Light generation). Other important indium-containing semiconductors include indium arsenide [1303-11-3] indium antimonide [1312-41 -0] and copper—indium—diselenide [12018-95-0]. 

Copper Indium Diselenide. CuInSe2 (CIS) has proven to be one of the most promising thin-film photovoltaic materials. CIS ahoy materials have yielded smah-area (ca 1 cm ) laboratory devices with efficiencies in excess of 17% and large-area (ca 0.5 m ) monolithic integrated modules with efficiencies in excess of 11%, and have shown excehent radiation hardness. 

StiU another method used to produce PV cells is provided by thin-fiLm technologies. Thin films ate made by depositing semiconductor materials on a sohd substrate such as glass or metal sheet. Among the wide variety of thin-fiLm materials under development ate amorphous siUcon, polycrystaUine sUicon, copper indium diselenide, and cadmium teUuride. Additionally, development of multijunction thin-film PV cells is being explored. These cells use multiple layers of thin-film sUicon alloys or other semiconductors tailored to respond to specific portions of the light spectmm. 

Selenium is also used in thin-film photovoltaic cells (qv) which contain copper indium diselenide [12018-95-0] CuInSe2. Use is quite small as of 1996. However, if the United States solar energy output with such cells were to increase by 100 MW/yr, this would require 8 t of selenium aimuaHy (see... 

The thickness of a photovoltaic cell is chosen on the basis of its ability to absorb sunlight, which in turn depends on the bandgap and absorption coefficient of the semiconductor. For instance, 5 nm of crystalline silicon are required to absorb the same amount of sunlight as 0.1 nm of amorphous silicon and 0.01 nm of copper-indium diselenide. Only MBE and MOCVD are capable of producing such extremely thin films.i l... 

Single-junction single crystal 30% (CdTe) copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2)... 

Extensive structural, optical, and electronic studies on the chalcopyrite semiconductors have been stimulated by the promising photovoltaic and photoelectrochem-ical properties of the copper-indium diselenide, CuInSe2, having a direct gap of about 1.0 eV, viz. close to optimal for terrestrial photovoltaics, and a high absorption coefficient which exceeds 10 cm . The physical properties of this and the other compounds of the family can be modulated to some extent by a slight deviation from stoichiometry. Thus, both anion and cation deficiencies may be tolerated, inducing, respectively, n- and p-type conductivities a p-type behavior would associate to either selenium excess or copper deficiency. 

Copper-indium diselenide, CuInSe2 (CIS), is a widely electrodeposited compound, due to its significance in thin film photovoltaics. 

Kois J, Bereznev S, Volobujeva O, MeUikov E (2007) Electrochemical etching of copper indium diselenide surface. Thin Solid Films 515 5871-5875... 

Byvik CE, Smith BT, Reichman B (1982) Layered transition metal thiophosphates (MPX3) as photoelectrodes in photoelectrochemical cells. Sol Energy Mater 7 213-223 Lincot D, Gomez Meier H, Kessler J, Vedel J, Dimmler B, Schock HW (1990) Photoelectrochemical study of p-type copper indium diselenide thin films for photovoltaic... 

Basol, B. M. Kapur, V. K. Leidholm, C. R. Halani, A. 1996. Flexible and light weight copper indium diselenide solar cells. Conference Record of the Twenty-Fifth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (NREL Report No. TP-410-21091), pp. 157-162. 

Pathan, H. M. Lokhande, C. D. 2005. Chemical deposition and characterization of copper indium diselenide (CISe) thin films. Appl. Surf. Sci. 245 328-334. 

Abou-Elfotouh, F. A. Moutinho, FI. Bakry, A. Coutts, T. J. Kazmerski, L. L. 1991. Characterization of the defect levels in copper indium diselenide. Solar Cells 30 151-160. 

Many other systems based on different nanoparticles have been introduced, such as copper indium disulfide (CuInS2) [263-265], copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2) [266,267], cadmium telluride (CdTe) [268], lead sulfide (PbS) [269,270], lead selenide (PdSe) [271], and mercury telluride (HgTe) [272]. Some of these systems show enhanced spectral response well into the infrared part of the solar spectrum [271,272]. In most cases the absorption of the nanocrystals was, however, quantitatively small as compared to the conjugated polymers. 

Morgan DL, Shines CJ, Jeter SP, et al. 1995. Acute pulmonary toxicity of copper gallium diselenide, copper indium diselenide, and cadmium telluride intratracheally instilled into rats. Environ Res 71 16-24. 

Semiconductor - Any material that has a limited capacity for conducting an electric current. Certain semiconductors, including silicon, gallium arsenide, copper indium diselenide, and cadmium telluride, are uniquely suited to the photovoitaic conversion process. 

Thin Film - A layer of semiconductor material, such as copper indium diselenide or gallium arsenide, a few microns or less in thickness, used to make solar photovoltaic cells. 

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