Photovoltaic Studies of Cd1-xCoxS Based Electrochemical Cells

The Cd 1-x Co x S (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) thin films were deposited on chemomechanically and ultrasonically cleaned stainless steel substrates by a liquid phase chemical bath deposition technique. The preparative parameters, (viz. growth temperature (56°C), deposition time (80 minutes), reaction pH (11±0.2) and the rate of mechanical churning (70±2)) and deposition conditions were used as optimized previously. The electrode/electrolyte interfaces were then set up between the n-type Cd 1-x Co x S (0 ≤ x < 0.5) photosensing electrodes and a sulphide/polysulphide (0.25 M ) redox electrolyte in H-shaped corning glass cells. A graphite rod treated in a cobalt sulphate solution for 24 hours was employed as a counter electrode. The as- fabricated cells were then characterized through the voltage-current and voltage-capacitance characteristics in dark, photovoltaic power output characteristics under constant illumination, and different responses of the cells to incident light. The PV performance parameters such open-circuit photopotential (V ph ), short circuit photocurrent (I ph ), series and shunt resistances (Rs & R sh ), efficiency (η), form factor (ff), dark ideality factor (nd), ideality factor under illumination(nL), built-in potential (Φ B ), dark current (I D ), the flat band potential(V fb ), junction capacitance under flat band condition (cj), cut off wavelength(λc) and photogenerated carrier life time(τ) were evaluated for various cells with a special emphasis given to the electrode composition (x). In general, photovoltaic output performance of the Cd 1-X Co X S based electrochemical cell is improved after Co implantation (x=0.1) in CdS. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v30i0.9387 Journal of Nepal Chemical Societ y Vol. 30, 2012 Page:  151-158 Uploaded date : 12/20/2013