The main tasks of the cadmium telluride portion of this project include the development of simplified processing for fabricating high-efficiency CdTe solar cells, studies on the long-term stability of CdTe devices, and the development of alternative transparent conducting oxides, window layers, and back contacts. The second portion of this project focused on CIGS solar cells. The main tasks include the development of a manufacturable process for CIGS devices and the development of high-band-gap alloys for use in tandem cell structures. Additional objectives include development of improved junction formation processing and contributing to the overall understanding of these materials and devices. Because the processing is manufacturing-driven, the authors use an all solid-state, simplified two-step process that relaxes the level of deposition control required.

This report summarizes work performed by the University of South Florida Department of Electrical Engineering under this subcontract. The Cadmium telluride(CdTe) portion of this project deals with the development of high-efficiency thin-filmed CdTe solar cells using fabrication techniques that are suitable for manufacturing environments.