Photovoltaic cells indium

Another growing apphcation that overlaps the electrically functional area is the use of transparent conductive coatings or tin oxide, indium—tin oxide, and similar materials in photovoltaic solar ceUs and various optic electronic apphcations (see Photovoltaic cells). These coatings are deposited by PVD techniques as weU as by spray pyrolysis, which is a CVD process. 

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... 

Photovoltaics also require significant research activity in the chemical sciences. Low-cost methods are required for producing solar-grade silicon for photovoltaic cells. Better solar cell materials are needed than the presently utilized amorphous silicon. These materials must be more efficient without the use of heavy metals such as cadmium, tellurium, indium, and lead, which present significant environmental issues. An understanding of the degradation process of photovoltaic cells is needed, as is an answer to why these materials lose their effectiveness after prolonged exposure to the sun. Finally, there is a need to develop catalysts for the efficient photochemical conversion of water. 

Abstract Photovoltaic cells have been dominated so far by solid state p-n junction devices made from silicon or gallium arsenide wavers or thin film embodiments based on amorphous silicon, CdTe and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) profiting from the experience and material availability of the semiconductor industry. Recently there has been a surge of interest for devices that are based on nanoscale inorganic or organic semiconductors commonly referred to as bulk junctions due to their interconnected three-dimensional structure. The present chapter describes the state of the art of the academic and industrial development of nanostructured solar cells, with emphasis in the development of the dye-sensitized nanocristalline solar cell. 

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. 

Photovoltaic cells, or solar cells, work by containing matericadmium telluride, or copper indium selenide whose electrons, ire easily excited by photons from the sun, creating electricity. 

Figure 9.23 Photovoltaic cell. Separation of photoelectrons and photoholes in the space-charge region of the TiOj electrode generates a photocurrent to the counter electrode, e.g., a transparent indium-tin-oxide covered glass plate. Within the cell an A/A" redox pair transports the current between the counter and semiconductor electrodes.

Theoretical conversion efficiencies of photovoltaic systems depend on the semiconductor materials used in the cells and on the ambient tanperatuie. The materials currently used to make photovoltaic cells can be grouped into three broad categories 1) expensive, efficient monocrystalline silicon, 2) less efficient but much lower cost polycrystalline silicon, and 3) the lowest cost and poorest performer, amorphous silicon material. Conversion efficiencies of commercial polycrystaUine silicon cells are 10 to 15 percent. Now the primary development areas are in how to use monocrystalline silicon with solar concentrators and making thin-film cells by depositing a 5- to 20-micron film of silicon onto an inexpensive substrate, because the estimated efficiency of these cells is above 20 percent. Work is ongoing with other materials, including amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2 or CIS) and related materials, and cadmium telluride (CdTe). 

Hains AW, Liu J, Martinson ABF et al (2010) Anode interfacial tuning via electron-blocking/hole-transport layers and indium tin oxide surface treatment in bulk-heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells. Adv Funct Mater 20 595-606... 

Self-assembled monolayers of an Os3(CO)s CN(CH2)3Si(OEt)3)(ft3-ri rf if-C6o) cluster on indium-tin oxide or gold surfaces have been shown to be electrochemically stable, being reducible to tetra-anionic species in their cyclic voltammograms. Further derivatization through tethering a zinc porphyrin complex to the cluster generated a high-performance photovoltaic cell with potential applications in artificial photosynthesis. ... 

Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, which convert incident solar radiation directly into electrical energy, today represent the most common power source for Earth-orbiting spacecraft, such as the International Space Station, where a photovoltaic engineering testbed (PET) is actually assembled on the express pallet. The solid-state photovoltaics, based on gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, or silicon, prove capable, even if to different extents and with... 

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. 

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