Low Cost Solar Cells with Electrodeposited Cuprous Oxide

Abstract

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) has been investigated as a low cost semiconductor material for application in environmentally friendly low cost solar cells. Electrodeposition technique was studied to synthesize the material and it was found that electrodeposition has the ability to control both conductivity type (n- or p-type) and morphology of the films. Aqueous acetate and hydrogen peroxide baths were used for the electrodeposition. Control of the morphology of the films to obtain nanocrystalline and flower like structured films were investigated for solar cell applications. n-Cu2O films were used for the fabrication of Cu2O/CuxS heterojunction thin film solar cells by partially sulphiding the films. The active junction area of the solar cell could be increased by using Cu2O films with crystal grains of size about 100 nm. With simple and inexpensive fabrication steps, the resulted solar cell produced an efficiency of 0.54%. Increase in active junction area enhanced the efficiency of the solar cell by about 400%. A hydrogen peroxide bath could be developed to grow Cu2O films with flower like morphology having nano structures. The study demonstrates the possibility of developing environmentally benign low cost solar cells with electrodeposited Cu2O films.