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Wide-Bandgap CIAS Thin-film Photovoltaics with Transparent Back Contacts for Next-Generation Single and Multijunction DevicesFuture spacecraft and high-altitude airship (HAA) technologies will require high array specific power (W/kg), which can be met using thin-film photovoltaics (PV) on lightweight and flexible substrates. It has been calculated that the thin-film array technology, including the array support structure, begins to exceed the specific power of crystalline multi-junction arrays when the thin-film device efficiencies begin to exceed 12%. Thin-film PV devices have other advantages in that they are more easily integrated into HAA s, and are projected to be much less costly than their crystalline PV counterparts. Furthermore, it is likely that only thin-film array technology will be able to meet device specific power requirements exceeding 1 kW/kg (photovoltaic and integrated substrate/blanket mass only). Of the various thin-film technologies, single junction and radiation resistant CuInSe2 (CIS) and associated alloys with gallium, aluminum and sulfur have achieved the highest levels of thin-film device performance, with the best efficiency, reaching 19.2% under AM1.5 illumination conditions and on thick glass substrates.(3) Thus, it is anticipated that single- and tandem-junction devices with flexible substrates and based on CIS and related alloys could achieve the highest levels of thin-film space and HAA solar array performance.
Document ID
20050206385
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Woods, Lawrence M.
(ITN Energy Systems, Inc. Littleton, CO, United States)
Kalla, Ajay
(ITN Energy Systems, Inc. Littleton, CO, United States)
Gonzalez, Damian
(ITN Energy Systems, Inc. Littleton, CO, United States)
Ribelin, Rosine
(ITN Energy Systems, Inc. Littleton, CO, United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: 18th Space Photovoltaic Research and Technology Conference
Subject Category
Solid-State Physics
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS3-02170
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS3-02027
CONTRACT_GRANT: NIST-70NANB8H4070
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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