Process for the preparation of thin films of cadmium sulfide and precursor solutions of cadmium ammonia thiocyanate complex useful therein
AssigneeArgus Chemical Corporation
InventorsOtto E. Loeffler, Nirmal S. Jain, Otto S. Kauder
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Abstract
A process is provided for the preparation of thin films of cadmium sulfide by deposition of cadmium sulfide formed in the thermal decomposition of an aqueous solution of cadmium ammonia thiocyanate complex, useful particularly in the preparation of thin cadmium sulfide films on electrically-conductive substrates useful in photovoltaic cells, and on thermally-conductive substrates useful in solar energy absorbers, for energy conversion systems.
Claims15
A process for the deposition of cadmium sulfide in thin films on a substrate, which comprises applying to the substrate a cadmium ammonia thiocyanate complex in solution in aqueous ammonium hydroxide;
- heating the complex at a temperature at which the complex undergoes thermal decomposition to form cadmium sulfide;
- depositing the cadmium sulfide on the substrate;
- and removing volatile reaction products, water and ammonia.
In a method for fabricating a photovoltaic device comprising the steps of providing a first electrical contact, depositing a layer of collector material on said first electrical contact, depositing a layer of absorber material on said collector to form a junction therebetween, and applying a second electrical contact to said absorber, the improvement which comprises applying as the collector material on the substrate a cadmium ammonia thiocyanate complex in solution in aqueous ammonium hydroxide;
- heating the complex at a temperature at which the complex undergoes thermal decomposition to form cadmium sulfide;
- depositing the cadmium sulfide on the substrate;
- and removing volatile reaction products, water and ammonia.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.