Improved thermal control for a-Si:H photovoltaic cells fabricated on polymeric substrates

Author

Huang, J.R. ; Lee, Y. ; Toporow, C.M.C. ; Vendura, G.J., Jr. ; Jackson, T.N. ; Wronski, C.R.

Author_Institution

Center for Thin Film Devices, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA, USA

fYear

1997

fDate

29 Sep-3 Oct 1997

Firstpage

699

Lastpage

702

Abstract

The fabrication of a-Si:H photovoltaic (PV) cells on polyimide or other flexible polymeric substrates presents significant challenges compared to cells fabricated on metallized glass or metal substrates. In particular, the low thermal conductivity of polyimide materials, and the difficulty of maintaining flatness, make substrate thermal control problematic. The authors report here a cell fabrication process on a 2 mil thick polyimide substrate using a pressure-sensitive silicone adhesive to provide thermal contact and to control substrate warping. Results are directly compared with cells similarly fabricated but on conventional substrates

Keywords

amorphous semiconductors; elemental semiconductors; hydrogen; polymers; semiconductor device manufacture; semiconductor device testing; semiconductor doping; silicon; solar cells; substrates; thermal analysis; thermal conductivity; 2 mm; Si:H; a-Si:H photovoltaic cells; polyimide materials; polymeric substrates; pressure-sensitive silicone adhesive; solar cell fabrication process; substrate warping; thermal conductivity; thermal contact; thermal control improvement; Conducting materials; Fabrication; Glass; Metallization; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic systems; Polyimides; Polymers; Solar power generation; Thermal conductivity;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1997., Conference Record of the Twenty-Sixth IEEE

Conference_Location

Anaheim, CA

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3767-0

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1997.654185

Filename

654185