SolarCells

C
Copyright2003
BATTERY
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FREE ENERGY
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CREATIVE SCIENCE P.O. BOX 557 NEW ALBANY, IN. 47151
www. f uel l ess. com www . f uel l esspower . com
401cvr
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
Thankyouforbuyingtheseplans.Itwillhelpusinourresearcheffortsandtotelltheworldaboutthis
suppressedtechnology.
Includedis3differentwaystomakeahomemadesolarcell:
The1996japanPatentisbyfarthebestandthemostpowerful.Thejapanpatentusesasimpleprocessthathas
beenusedforcenturies,Yousimplyscreenprintthenegativeandpositivelayersandthecontactlayersontoa
pieceofglassplate,itdoesnotmatterhowthicktheglassis.Thelayerscanbesprayedonwithaspraygun
andaaircompressor,butitisbesttoScreenprintit.Screenprintingeachlayerwillmakeyoursolarcellslast
longerandtheywillbemoreefficient
Ifyoudonotknowwhatscreenprintingis,youcanlearnaboutthisverysimpleprocessfromtheLibrary.
Alsolotsofinfoandsuppliescanbepurchasedatyourlocalhobbystoreorartsupplystore.Youcanalsobuy
supply'ssuchasscreensandsuchatalocalScreenprintingshop.ortheycanscreenprintitforyou.Screen
printingisverysimpleandcheaptodoforyouselfrightinyourownhome.Itmaytakealittlestudyingbutit
willbeworthit.youcanprintupasmanySolarCellsasyouwantforjustpennies.(Coveryourentireroof
withthem.Youwillhavemoreenergythanyouwilleverneed.Youcanthenmakemoneysellingelectricity
backtotheelectriccompanywhichshouldpayforitselfinonetotwoyears.Themostexpensivepartisthe
deepcyclemarinebatteriesandyourinverters.Manyaremakinganiceincomeeveryyearfromthis,justby
sellingelectricitybacktotheelectriccompany,asktoseeifyourelectriccompanyhasthattypeofprogramin
yourarea.moststatesIhearddo.
TheJapanmethodisnewanditisnotlimitedtojustaglasssurface,youcanalsoapplyitrightonto
aluminumorcoppersheeting.Lookatthe1stpage,seetheNtypelayer#2thisiswhatthePatentsaysto
Printfirst.Butifyouwanttoprintontoametalsurfacethemetalsurfacewouldbe#5thenthe1stprintwould
be#4thenletitairdryandthenbakeat600degreesfor3to5minutes.
(Eachprintedlayercanbedonethisway.)Thenyour2ndprintwouldbe#3,thenyouletairdry,thenbake,
thenPrint#2Airdry/bake.ThenyoumustprintaMetalgridover#2thenletairdry,(youdon'thavetobake
themetalprint.)Thiswillbeyournegativecontact,#5willbeyourPositiveContact,sowhatyourdoingis
justsimplyreversingtheprintinglayersteps.Ifyouhaveneverseenasolarcellthemetalgridislikeametal
doorscreenbutwithbiggerspacing.Youcanbuyaspecialmetalprintinginkormixityourselfasthepatent
says.Theinkissimplymadeupofnickelorsilver.Nickelisthecheapestandwillworkjustfine.
PleaseNotice:YoucannotmanufactureandselltheJapanSolarCellswithouttherepermissionIfyouwant
toleamaboutScreenPrintingwesellaVHSVideoforonly$29.95
Pleasesend$4forshipping.
Thechemicalsthatarementionedinthepatentareveryeasytoget.YoucanbuytheminanyQTYfromany
Chemicalsupplycompanylookoneupinyouryellowpagephonebook.Orcheckonline,searchforChemical
SupplyShopsorcompanies.
AboutPhotovoltaics
Photovoltaic(orPV,SolarCells)systemsconvertlightenergyintoelectricity.Theterm"photo"isfromthe
Greek"phos"whichmeanslight."Volt"isnamedfromAlessandroVolta(1745-1827,Hewasapioneerin
thestudyofelectricity.Soyoucouldsaythat"Photo-voltaicsisbasicallylightelectricity!Andismost
commonlyknownasSolarCells.Solarcellsystemsarealreadyaveryimportantpartofourlives.The
simplestsystemspowermanyofthesmallcalculatorsandwristwatchesweuseeveryday.PVpoweristhe
cheapestformofelectricityforpoweringthesesmalldevices.Therearemanywaystomakesolarcells,and
oneofthecheapestwaysistoscreenprintthem.TherearemanycompaniesintheUSAthataredoingthis.
ManyUSPatentshavebeenissuedforscreenprintingsolarcellsandtherearemanydifferentchemicalinks
thatcanbeused.TheJapanesePatentisoneofmany.
Page1
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
TurningSunlightIntoElectricity!
SolarCellsconvertlightenergyintoelectricityat
theatomiclevel.Itwasfirstdiscoveredin1839,the
processofproducingelectriccurrentinasolid
materialwiththeaidofsunlightwasn'ttrulyunder-
stoodformorethanahundredyears.
Throughoutthesecondhalfofthe20thcentury,the
sciencehasbeenrefinedandprocesshasbeenmore
fullyexplained.Asaresultthecostofthesedevices
hasputthemintothemainstreamofmodemenergy
producers.Thiswascausedinpartbyadvancesin
technology,wherePVconversionefficiencieshave
beenimproved.
SolarCellMaterials
Themostimportantpartsofasolarcellarethe
semiconductorlayers,thisiswheretheelectron
currentiscreated.Thereareanumberofdifferent
materialsavailableformakingthesesemiconducting
layers,andeachhasbenefitsanddrawbacks.
Unfortunately,thereisnooneidealmaterialforall
typesofcellsandapplications.
Inadditiontothesemiconductingmaterials,solar
cellsconsistofatopmetallicgridorotherelectrical
contacttocollectelectronsfromthesemiconductor
andtransferthemtotheexternalload,andaback
contactlayertocompletetheelectricalcircuit.
Then,ontopofthecompletecellistypicallyaglass
coverorothertypeoftransparentencapsulantto
sealthecellandkeepweatherout,andaanti-
reflectivecoatingtokeepthecellfromreflectingthe
lightbackawayfromthecell.Atypicalsolarcell
consistsofacoverglass,aanti-reflectivelayer,a
frontcontacttoallowtheelectronstoenteracircuit
andabackcontacttoallowthemtocompletethe
circuit,andthesemiconductorlayerswherethe
electronsbegintocompletetherevoyages!
Page2
12x18 12vdc
ScreenPrintedSolarCells
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
ScientistsinArizonaareusingscreen-printing,a
techniquedevelopedforprintingfabrics,paperand
toproduceplastic,glassandmetalsolarcells.
Thebasicmaterialsofaphotovoltaiccell(solarcell)
areinexpensive.Theorganicmanufacturedby
GhassanJabbourandcolleaguesattheUniversityof
ArizonainTucsonhaveabout11/4oftheefficiency
ofcommercialsiliconsolarcells,whichturn10-20
percentoflightenergyintoelectricity.But,being
cheaptoproduce,theycanmakeupthelossin
quantitywhattheylackinquality.NowtheJapan
screenprintedsolarcellsareevenbetterthanthat!
Formoreinfocontact:MatsushitaElectricIndustrial
co.LTD,Osaka.Japan
AScreenprintingpress,the
woodframeisthescreen
InconventionalScreen-printing,atautpieceof
screenmeshfabricisstretchedoverawoodframe,
youcanbuythescreensalreadymadeandthematerials
fromanyscreenprintingshoporscreenprintingsupply
companyinyourareaorontheinternet.Alsoyoumight
wanttocheckwithyourlocalartstore,sometimesthey
havefullkitsetc...
Thescreenisthenmaskedoffusingmaskingtape,
Forexample: a5"x5"squarearea.thescreenoutside
AnexampleofaSiliconcell
ofthemaskingtapeisthencoatedwithablockout
liquidorpaint,thisissowhenyouapplyyoursemiconductinginkthatyoumixe,itwillgo
throughjusttheareathatyoumaskedoffwhen youapplyarubbersqueegeetoit.The
screencanthenbeplacedonanytabletopandhingesattachedtothebackofthewood
frameandthetable,thiswillinsurethescreencanmoveupanddown.Thengetasmall
woodpaintstickandusingasmallnail,hammeroneendtothefrontsideofwoodframe.
Thiswillbeyourkicklegandwillhelpkeepyourscreeninanupwardpositionwhen
needed.Takea5"x5"pieceofglassandplaceitrightundertheopen5"x5"areaofthe
openscreenmesh.Whenthelegisflippedbackthescreencomesdownandyougrab
yourrubberandwoodhandledsqueegeeandwiththeinkinfrontofyourrubbersqueegee
pulltowardyouapplyingpressuresoinkwillgothroughscreen,onceyouhavepassedby
the5"x5"areathenflipthescreenbackupandreversesqueegeetofloodthescreenfor
thenextprint.
Page3
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
TheResearchgroupmentionedearlier,Jabbour'sgroup,printveryflat,
thincells,ontoglassinasimilarway.Firsttheycoattheglasswitha
transparentelectricallyconductingmaterial(metalink)thatactsasoneofthe
solarcell'selectrodes.Ontopofthis,theylaydownathinfilmofapolymer,
whichhelpstogathercurrentfromthephotovoltaicmaterial.
Finallytheydepositablendoftwoorganiccompoundsthatconvertlightinto
electricity.Oneisacarbon-basedmoleculecalledafullerene,itproduces
chargedparticlesthatcarryanelectricalcurrentwhenlightshinesontothe
molecules.Theotherisapolymer,itferriesthecurrenttotheelectrodeson
thetopandthebottomofthesolarcell.
Underbluelight,thesescreen-printedsolarcellshaveanefficiencyof4.3per
cent.AndtheJapanesecellsaremuchgreaterthanthat!Manyoftheflexible
solarcellpanelsthatyouseetodayarescreenprinted.
NowletstakealookatwhatTheDupontCompanyisdoingwiththeresolar
cells.Dupontisinvolvedinthedevelopmentofsolarcellmetallisationsince
the1970's.AlthoughallPVcellmanufacturersusedifferentprocessesto
maketheresolarcells,themetallisationoftherearandfrontsidesisinmany
casesDONEBYSCREENPRINTING!Whichhasshownitselftobeone
ofthemosteconomicwaytoproducesolarcells.
Recently,Dupontachievedarealbreakthroughintheformulationoffront-side
contactsforsiliconsolarcellsthathasresultedincustomers,suchas
photowatt,torealizethescreenprintingefficiencybychangingtheiranti-
reflectiontechnologyfromtitaniumdioxidetosiliconnitride.Thiscameat
justtherighttimeforthePhotowattsolarcellcompany,Becausetheyhave
beenusingthereownpastmaterialforthefrontsidemetallisationsinceitfirst
startedmanufacturingsolarcells.Thedevelopmentofthemetallisationfrom
Dupontforthebackside,(p-side).Thesepastyinksareeithersilverpastes
containingAl,orpureAlpastestosecureagoodohmiccontactwiththep-
sideofthesolarcell.Wehavetoldyouallthistohelpyoubetterunderstand
andleamthescreenprintingsolarcellprocessandwhatothersaredoing.
Page4
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
TheJapanSolarCellPatent
Note:YoucanUseanoutsideGrilltobaketheScreenPrintedlayers.Itisagood
ideatomakesmallcells,8"x10"orwhatever.ItiseasiertofitintotheGrill,
WesuggestBakinginsidealargeroastingpanandthenputtheroastingpaninside
thepreheatedgrillandshutthelid.Itissuggestedthatyoutryandmake3prototype
cellsfirst,Workoutallthedetails,Testthem,andthenstartonalargeproductionof
SolarCells.Itwillallgetmucheasieronceyouhavedoneit.Itisalsosuggestedthat
youbakethemoutside.Youdon'twantanyfumesinthehouse,anoutsidegrillisthe
bestandmostreadilyavailableoventhereisandpropaneischeap.Ihearyoumaybe
abletomakethemwithoutaNitrogenatmosphereifnottryspecialgascompaniesor
makesomeyourself,itissupposedtobenonflammable.
ScreenPrinting:Youstartwithasmall14"x14"woodframe2x2".Thenaplastic
orclothescreenisstretchedovertheframetightlyonesideatatime,andthenstapled
downonall4sides,wesuggestbuyingayellow200meshscreenfromascreen
printingsupplier,Thenyouputanimageofwhateveryouwanttoprintintothe
screenbyphotoemulsionorbycuttingalacquerorwaterfilmwithanexactoknife.
(seeourScreenPrintingVideo)Onceyouhaveyourimageyouplacethefinished
screenontoaflatsmoothtabletop,attachittoa14"long2"x4"with2doorhinges.
usingwoodscrews,thenyouattachthe2"x4"ontothetablesoitandthescreenwill
notmove.thescreenshouldonlygoupordown.
youthenputyour8"x10"glassunderthescreen,registerit,thenlaythescreen
downovertheglassandapplyyourinkandthenwithasmall12"rubberSqueegee,
Youpulltheinkovertheimageanditispushedthruthescreenmeshandthruthe
imagethatyoucutandsmoothlyisprintedontotheglass.
SUPPLIERS;
ScreenPrintingBooksandsupplies;NDS1-800-783-3883Indianapolis,IN.
(SeealsoArtStore's,HobbyShop's,ArtsandCrafts,Screenprintingcompany's.)
Theyalsosellcoppersheeting.
SolarCellScreenPrintChemicals:Searchtheweb,simplytypeinthechemical
youarelookingforandmanysupplierswillpopup.Example:CadmiumSulphide
Supplier.....Wehavecheckedandyoucanfindallthechemicalsandinfoonthem
freeontheweb.
Alsosee:www.stanfordmaterials.com/semi.html
TheStanfordMaterialsCompany
1.CadmiumSulphideinpowderform=Cds(orifalreadythickliquidorinkOK.)
2.CadmiumChloride+Cdcl2 (Powderorliquidform)
3.Propyleneglycol+pginliquidform
4.CarbonPowder,ifyoucannotfindnonemakeyourownwoodcarbonpowder?
5.Cadmium=Cd
6.Tellurium=Te
Page5
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
Copyright2003/allpages
THECOPPERCHLORINESOLARCELL:BuyarollofThinCoppersheeting,cut
a1.5"diameterpieceoutwithapairofcutters,thensandpolishthecopperonbothsides
withsomefinegradesteelwool.thenbyusingapropanetorchheatthecopperwhile
gripingitwithrubberhandledpliers,andletthecoppergetredhot,untilitglows,move
thecopperovertheflameevenlyforabout3minutesthenallowtocoolslowly.Then
onceitiscooleddipitdowninanacidsolutionof 1/2waterand1/2acid,WARNING!
Neverpourwaterintoacidalwayspouracidintowater.Theacidthatyoucanuseis
MURIATICACID(HydrochloricAcid)youcanbuyitatanyhardwarestore,oryou
canuseasolutionofnitricacid.REMEMBERTOWEARPROTECTIVE
GOGGLESOROTHERSUITABLEEYEPROTECTION,ANDWORKINA
WELLVENTILATEDAREA.DONOTSMELLTHEFUMESORMAKE
CONTACTWITHYOURSKIN,WEARRUBBERGLOVES.THESEACIDS
CAUSESEVEREBURNS.KEEPOUTOFTHEREACHOFCHILDREN.
NOTICE:WEARENOTRESPONSIBLEFORANYTHINGINTHESEPLANS,
YOUBUILDANDEXPERIMENTATYOUROWNRISK.
Keepitintheacidforonlyahalfaminuteorlonger,theideaistokeepitdippedinthe
acidlongenoughfortheblackoxidetocomeoffofthetoplayer,underthatisthephoto
sensitiveredcuprousoxide.Rememberyoushouldonlyhaveadarkbrightredlayerleft.
Note:donotleaveitintolongitwilleatawaythered.onceyouhavedonethatthenit's
O.K.towashofftheacidwithwater,doallofthisoutsideorinyourgarage,makesure
alloftheacidisoff.washnolessthan3minutes,nowlookatthecopperdiskonone
sideyouwillhavebrightcopper,thisisthepositiveside,andontheothersideyouwill
haveredthisthenegativesidethesideyoufacetowardthesun.nowmixasmall
solutionof95waterand5Cloroxbleach,nowtaketheredsideandlookfor
scratchesifthereareanyyoumustpaintthemwithenameloilbasepaint,applypaintto
anywhereonthatsidewherecopperisshowingthrough,nowglueaplasticlidontored
side,letitdrythemdrillasmallholeinthetoppourinCloroxbleachandwatersolution
andthenplaceacopperorsteelwirethroughtheholeandontothebottom,wiremustbe
submergedinthesolution,nowtapeorgluetheholeupwiththewireinit.nowtape
SolarcelloutintothesunandusingaDCvoltmeterattach+tothecopperback,and-to
thesteelwirecomingoutofhole.youwillseethemetermoveshowingavoltage,now
blockthesunwithyourhandandwatchthevoltagedrop.
makemanyoftheseforjustpenniesandputtheminseriesorparalleltoincreaseyour
voltageoramperage.Thesetypeofcellsareonly5ofthejapancells.
IhaveheardthattheJapanesecellsareabout95oftheAmericanmadesiliconcellthat
isaveryexpensiveprocess.Screenprintingthemisthecheapestwaytogoandiseasy,
onceyougetthehangofit.
Chemicals:needed:1.CadmiumSulphide=cds2.CadmiumChloride==cdcl2
(Thesecanbeinpowderform)3.PropyleneGlycol=pgthisisusedtomixthe
powdersintoapastybutscreenprintableliquidinktype.4.Carbonpowder,ifyoucan
notfinditmakesomeyourselfoutofburntwoodetc...5.Cadmium=cd
6.Tellurium=Te
Page6
butwillbeabletomakeyourownFREEElectricityforceusoutofthecloset
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
Copper Chorline Solar Cell
NegativeWire
Clearplasticcap
G
+
-
rescreenmesh (HardwareStore)
lue
orglasscontainer
PositiveWire
Wi
Therearemanydifferentwaystoconstructthesehomemadecells,theabove
drawingshowsawirescreenmeshthatyoucanbuyatanyhardwarestore.
Usingwiremeshmakesamuchmorepowerfulcell,thanjustusingone
strandofwire.beforeassembly,attachthewiremeshtotheredcopperside.
useasmallweightinthecenterofthewiremeshandusingclearsilicon,glue
downtheedges,(makesureyoudon'tgetanyglueintheareawherethe
plasticcapisgoingtosit.)nowletthatsitovernight,thenglueonyourclear
plasticcapontotheredcoppersideofcell.
thesealsomakeagreatsciencefairprojectaswellasprovidingfreeelectricity
toyourhome.It'sgoingtotakesomepracticeifyoudoanyoftheseprojects.
sotheycouldshutusdown.
KnowledgeisPower! StudythisPatentwellandreadall
youcanfromthefreeinfoontheinternetaswellabout
screenprintingsolarcellsandthemanydifferentchemicals
thatcanbeused!TheJapanSolarCellsarebettertomake
andwilllastalongtime!
Creative Science & Research:POBOX557NewAlbanyIN,47151
www.fuelless.com www.fuellesspower.com
Page7
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
A More Simplified Copper
Solar Cell
SimilartotheCopperChlorineCells.WehavefoundthatifyouuseConductiveNicklePaintyouwill
getfarbetterresults.Butstartoutusingthescreenmeshorthealuminumwire.YoucanbuyNickle
Paintontheinternet.SimplysearchforNicklePaintsuppliersonyoursearchengine.Youcando
thesameforfindingthincoppersheeting.ThereisalsoacompanyinLouisvilleKY,thatsellscopper
sheeting,seeConnerManufacturing 18thst.Louisville,KY. (502)-587-1387 Or VendomeCopper&
Brass 729FranklinSt.Louisville,KY.40202 (502)-587-1930
Warning: You build at your own risk!
CreativeScience&ResearchPOBOX557NewAlbany,IN.47150
Copyright 2003
Page8
#401
Modern Thefabricationofamodemsolarcellisverycomplicatedand
adelicateprocess.Inmostcases,alargesiliconingotisgrown
fromasmallcrystalinanextremelycleanandsterileenviron-
ment.Anydustorparticlecontaminationevendowntothe
atomiclevelduringthegrowingprocesscancompletelyruinthe
ingot.Impuritiesmusttypicallybekepttoonepartperbillion.
Thegrowingprocessitselfisslow,andtheverypuremateri-
alsrequiredareextremelycostly.Becauseofthis,asingleingot
whichislaterslicedintothincellsapproximately0.05centime-
tersthickoftencoststhousandsofdollarstoproduce.
Thisfactcoupledwiththegeneralinefficiency(7-14typi-
cally)ofeventhesemodemcellshaskeptthepriceofphotoelec-
triccellstoohightobecompetitivewithothersourcesofpower.
Someday,lowercostproductiontechniquestogetherwith
higherefficiencywillmakewidespreaduseofclean,renewable
solarenergypossible.Somedaysolarcellswillbeaverycommon
Sourceofenergy,theideaofderivingelectricitydirectlyfrom
sunlightwillcontinuetoexcitethe inventorandexperimenter.
Itiswellknownthatifeven1oftheSaharadesertwere
coveredwiththesolarcellsjustdescribed,itwouldmorethan
supplyourworldscurrentenergyneeds.Wewillbrieflyoutline
someoftheprocessesandmaterialsthatarenowbeingresear-
chedforconvertingtheuseofsolarenergyintoelectricity.
Page9
Youshouldhavenotroublebuildingthecellsthatwillbe
describedinthefollowingpages.Becautious.Usegoodjudge-
mentandcommonsenseinhandlingthechemicalsandheating
processesdescribed.You'llfindthatasimplesolarcellcanbe
constructedbyapersistentstudent, Solarcellsthatcanmake
outstandingsciencefairprojects.
Theelectricaloutputfromthehomemadecoppercells in
thisarticlewillbewellbelowthatofmoderncommercialcells,
butthematerialscostisalsoverylow.Oftenacellcanbeliterally
producedforpennies!Thelossinefficiencyisprobablymore
thanmadeupinthereductionoftheirprice.
ButagaintheScreenprintedsolarcellsarefarmorepower-
fullthanthecoppertypesolarcells.
COPPERSOLARCELLS
Asmall,carefullymadesolarcellofapproximately21/2"
diameterwillproducearound5milliamperesofcurrentindirect
sunlight.Thisisenoughtodriveasensitivelightmeteror
extremelysensitiverelay.Banksofthesecellshaveevenbeen
usedtorunsmallelectricmotors.
Experimentwiththeproceduresdescribed.Youmaystumble
ontoamethodofproducingevenmoreefficientcellsthanwehave.
Justbesuretobeverycareful.Thechemicalsdescribedcanbe
dangerousifabusedormishandled.Youbuildatyourownrisk!
Thereareanestimated80trillionkilowattsofsolarelectrical
energyavailableinthenorthernhemisphere.
ManyDifferenttypesofChemicals HavePhotoelectricProperties!
Thereareanumberofelementsandchemicalcompounds
thatcanbeusedtoproducephotoelectricpower.Theyinclude
titanium,selenium,thorium,cuprousoxide,andmetalsofthe
alkaligroupincludingsodium,potassium,rubidium,lithium,
cesiumandfrancium.
Thetwobestsubstancesforahomemadecellsare, selenium
andcuprousoxide.
Page10
AnexampleofacompleteFreeEnergySystem,UsingSolarcellsinseriesandparalleltocharge12
voltdeepcyclebatteries,whichinturnrunsour5,000wattinvertertorunyourhomeon120vacx60
Hz.WerecommendreplacingthesolarpanelswithourFuellessEngineconnectedtoa12voltcar
alternatortokeepupbatteries. Thelawnmowermotorweuseasabackup.
Tooutsideair,Hydrogen
gasoutlet.PVCpipe.
/
l i i
SI I
l
l l
l
lt
i i
l l
l i
gl j
/
+
w/di
120VDCwalloutlet
I
120 VAC OUTSIDE OR INDOOR
BREAKER BOX
12 1 2"
17" deep
So ar s not a good cho ce!
65"
DE V EW
120 vo ts DC
High Voltage
DANGER
So ar Pane
Charge
Contro
Inverter
120 vo
DANGER HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE
Use the opt ons that f t you.
See our Fue from water p ans
or use our Fue less Eng ne.
WATER
ass ar
Hydrogen oxygen
120VDC
CARALTERNATOR
oruseaACgenerator
odeandchangeto
120vDC
Chargingsystem:chargefor2to3hrsperday!
Breakerboxwith120VDCmeter.
YOU MUST HAVE AN ON/OFF BREAKER BOX.
YOU CAN USE A 120 Vac HOUSE TYPE.
USEPVCGREYP PE
5,000 WATT
INVERTER
120vac x60hz
modifiedorpuresinewave.
Page11
HomemadeCopperSolarCells #401
Seleniumwasextensivelyusedintheproductionofcommer-
cialsolarcellsbeforesilicon.Althoughitcanbeasomewhat
difficulttofindasupplieranditisatoxicheavymetal,itis
relativelyinexpensiveandcanoftenbefoundinoldmodelradio
sets,whereitwasusedintherectifierofthepowersupply.
Aseleniumphotocellismadefromametalplate(usuallyiron)
withonesidebeingcoveredwithalayerofselenium.Averythin
layerofsilverorgoldisspatteredovertheseleniumlayerforming
alayerofcurrent-carryingmaterialthatallowslighttopassthrough
it. Thislayeriscalledatransparentelectrode.Ametalelectrode
calledacollector,restsonthegoldorsilverneartheedgeofit.
Wiresareattachedtothecollectorandtheironplatetodeliver
theelectriccurrenttotheload.Althoughnotasgreatanoutput
asmoremoderncells,aseleniumphotocellcanproduceasmuch
aseightmilliamperesforeachsquareinchofsurfaceareaex-
posedtobrightsunlight.
Cadmiumsulfideisprobablythemostpromisinglow-cost
solarcellsecondonlytosilicon.
Ifyouhaveaninterestinelectronics,youwillundoubtedly
recognizecadmiumsulfide(thecommon"CDS"cell)asthe
materialusedinlightdetectingcircuits.Althoughinventors
haverealizedforsometimethatanumberofmaterialssuchas
cadmiumsulfidechangetheirelectricalresistanceinthepres-
enceoflight,ithasonlybeeninfairlyrecenttimesthatitwas
realizedtheycouldalsobeusedtogeneratepoweralso.
Themostimportantattributeofcadmiumsulfideisthatit
couldbemass-producedefficientlyusingathin-filmprocedure
whereinverythinlayersofitsphotosensitivecomponentsare
evaporatedontoabasemetalorscreenprinted.
Cadmiumcellsare fairlyefficient(3-5typical)making
themagoodrivalforamorphoussiliconcells.
AnExperimentalCellWithCuprousOxide
Thebestcellbyfarfortheyoutostartwith,isacellmade
withcuprousoxide(Cu^O).Copperactuallyhastwooxides,ared
Page12
HomemadeCopperSolarCells #401
oxidecalledcuprousoxide,andablackoxidecalledcupricoxide
(CuO).
Thedarkredcuprousoxidehasphotoelectricpropertiesbut
blackcupricoxidedoesnot.Theblackoxidethatformsonthe
outsideofyourcellmustberemovedbecauseitisopaqueand
willnotallowlighttoreachthecell'sactivesurface.
BuildingyoursolarCell
Step1. Cutapiece sheetcopperintothesizeand
shapeyouwishforyourcell.Although.025inchthickcopper
wasusedforthecellsdescribedhere,justaboutanythickness
willdo.
Copperisasoftmetalandcanbecutwithtinsnipsoreven
withanoldpairofscissors.
Cutyourcellwithadiameterof11/2inches,westrartwitha
smallercellbecauseitismucheasiertoworkwith.Thelarger
theheatsourcethebiggerthesizecopperyoucanusetocreate
yoursolarcell.Afteryougetthehangofityoucanthenbuild
largercells..
Asyoucutthecopper,besuretoleavea"handle"sothatyou
maygripthecellwithplierswithoutmarringthecell'sactive
surface.
ThinCoppersheet
Page13
Step2.
thesurfaceofthecell
mustbemadeex-
tremelyclean.Prepare
asolutionofnitricacid
bycarefullymixing20
partsnitricacidand80
partsdistilledwater.
Remembertowearpro-
tectivegogglesorother
suitableeyeprotection
andtoworkinawell
ventilatedareawhen-
everyouworkwith
Copperdisk,scoured&polished
chemicals.
anddippedinacid.
IMPORTANT!ALWAYSADDACIDTOWATER!
NEVERADDWATERTOACID!
Beginbycarefullypolishingthefaceofthecellwithafine
gradeofsteelwooluntilitshinesbrightly.Thenplacethecell
withtheshinysideup,inthesolutionofnitricacid.
Soon,tinybubbleswillformonthecopperdisk.Stirthe
solutionoccasionally.Whenthediskseemsshinyandwell
cleaned,removeandrinseitundercoolrunningwater.
WARNING!Nevertoallowyourskintotouchtheacid,and
thatnoacidremainsonthecell.
Thecellwillsometimesworkwithouttheacidcleaningifitis
simplywellpolishedbythesteelwool.However, westrongly
recommendtheacidcleaning.
Nitricacidandtheotherchemicalsmentionedinthetextcan
beeasilyorderedfromanumberofmail-orderchemicalhouses
suchasfoundintheclassifiedsectionofmagazinessuchas
PopularScience.
Step3.Cuprousoxideisnowformedonthediskbyheating
itoveraBunsenburner,orpropanetorch.Agasstovecanbe
used,butresultsmaybeunpredictable.
Thetimemediskmustbeheatedvariesgreatlydependingon
theheatofthetorch,andthethicknessandsizeofthecopper
piece.Usingastandardpropanetorchfromthehardwarestore
andadiskofthedescribedsize,Ifound2minutesand40seconds
tobeideal.Ifyouheatittoolong,youruntheriskofburningoff
theoxides.Heatingfortooshortatimemaypreventtheoxides
fromformingfully.
Page14
TheCopperisheatedononesideonly,untilitisglowingandredhot!
coppermustbekeptatanevenredhot,alloverit'ssurfaceforabout
2minutesand45secondsbymovingthecopperoverthetourchina
roundmotion.counterclockwise. Thesideofthecellthatisnotexposed
totheflamewillbecomecoatedwiththeblackcupricoxide.
Nowjustbeneaththisblackoxideisthephotosensitiveredcuprouseoxide.
Thisredcuprouseoxidecanbepurchsedinpowderformandmixedwitha
special solvent,whichisclear,andisdescribedintheJapanPatent. The
Oxidecanthenbe screenprintedontothecoppersurface.Thisoxide
materialisdifferentthanthechemicalsusedinthePatent.
CopperDisk
Photosensitiveoxidesareformedbyheatingthediskforseveralminutes.
Afterheatingyourcellfortheprescribedtime,itmustbecarefullycooled.
Therearetwowaystogoaboutthis.Youcancoolthecopperquicklyby
eitherplacingitfacedownonaflatmetalsurface,orbywaitingafewmom-
entsandthenquenchingitincoolwater.Theadvantagetocoolingthecell
quicklyisthattheunwantedblackcupricoxidewilloftenflakeoffthecell
duetothedifferenceincontractionratesoftheoxides.Unfortunately,Ihave
hadbadluckwiththismethoddespiteextensiveexperimentationwithdif-
ferenttemperaturesandprocedures.
Whathasworkedverywellformeistobringthecell'stemperaturedown
asslowlyaspossiblemakingsuretheblackoxidedoesnotcrackatall.Once
completelycool,thecellisimmersedinthe nitricacidbath.You must wait
whiletheacidbeginstodissolvetheblackoxide.Thenyouremoveandrinse
thecell.
Averyweaksolutionofsodiumcyanidecanalsobeusedwithgoodresults.
However,youshouldbeextremelycarefulwhenusingit.Cyanideisanextre-
melypoisonouschemical, and ifaccidentallymixed with anacidcancreate
deadlyfumes.Atthispointtheblackoxidecoveringthecellcanberubbed
awaywithsteelwoolandalittleelbowgrease.AfteralloftheBlackoxidehas
beenremoved,yourcellshouldhaveauniformcaotingofdeepredononeside.
Page15
blackoxidehasbeenremoved,yourcellshould haveauniformcoatingof deepredononeside.Don'tworryiftheveryoutside
edgesofyourcelldon'thavethecoating,thisisduetounevencoolingandisnormal.Keepinmindthattheredcoatingmustnot
bescratchedorscrapedawaytorevealthebarecopperplatebeneath.Ifthishappensthecellmightshortinthefinalstepandnot
workatall.
Testing:Therearenowseveralwaysthatyoucantestyousolarcelleventhoughitisnotfinished,itcangeneratepower.
Ifyouarebuildingthecellforasciencefairorotherdemonstration,youmaywanttostopandusethecellatthispointwhilethe
cuprousoxideisstillvisible.Ifyouholdthecellnearasourceofbrightlight,acurrentwillbegeneratedbetweenthecuprousoxide
coatingandthecopperplate. Thecopperwillformthepositiveterminalandthecuprousoxidethenegative.
Makingcontactwiththecopperportionofthediskisveryeasy.Simplysandasmallbarespotonthebackofthesolarcellandatta-
chawire.Attachingthewireandmakingagoodcontactwiththecuprousoxideismoredifficult,itishardtosolderandattachanything.
butitcanbedonebypressuregluingorother.
Page16
methodofmakingagoodcontactwiththislargeofasurfacearea,isbyattachingawiregridtoit.Abetterwayistoapplyaverythin
layerofsilverorgoldcalledatransparent Aneasilyfabricatedbuttemporarytransparentelectrodecanbemadefromsaltwater.Orasseen
inourChlorinecellsandacontainergluedtothecellandtheliquidapplied.Asoloutionofsaltoracidwillconductelectricityandalsopass
lighttothecell. Dripasmallamountofsaltwateroryourspit,ontothecenterofthecell.Makesurethatthewaterrestsonlyonthe
cuprousoxideanddoesnottouchanyofthesolarcell'scoppersurfaceoritwillshortoutandwillnotproduceanyfreeelectricalenergyat
all.
Now,attachonewirefromagalvanometer,digitalvoltmeterusingthemilliamporlowvoltagesettingtosomeexposedportionofthe
cell'scoppersurface.Usuallythebackortheedgeshavesomeexposedcopper.Touchtheothermeterleadtothesurfaceofthewater.The
meterwillspringtolife.Next,bringabrightsourceoflightsuchasa100wattbulbnearthecell.Themetershouldshowaslightlysmaller
voltageasthelightapproaches.Yourcellwillproducebestinsunlight!Thecellischangingsomeofthelightintoelectricitybutishavingto
counteractthecurrentgeneratedbythesaltwater,hencethedropinvoltage.Thesaltwateractuallyactsasanelectrolyteandwiththeoxide
generatesitsowncurrentjustasasmallbatterywould.Anotherwaythatyoucantestyourcellisbymakingawireelectrodeforthesurface.
Thisisdonesimplybycoilingsome30gaugesilver-platedwireoraluminumwireandbyholdingitagainstthe(cells)cuprousoxide
surfacewithasheetofglass.Agoodwayistocoilthewirearoundistouseaconeshapeddowelorother
objectfirstinordertomakegoodevenspirals. Makesurethatthewiretouchesthecuprousoxideonly,andnoneofthebare
copper.Youwillalwayshavesomebarecopperaroundtheedgesofthecell,soitisbesttopaintwithenamelpaint,letdryandthenwork
withthecell.
Bysimplyattachingonewireofyour meter tothesilverwire,andonetothecell'sexposedcopper,youwillbeabletoregisterasmall
currentwhenalightisbroughtnear.Inthisform,thecellcanbeoperatedindefinitelyandmakesanexcellentScienceFairDisplay.
MakingTheSilveringSolution:Thefinalstepinmakingyourownsolarcellwillbetomakeapermanenttransparentelectrode.When
properlyapplied,thiswillgiveyourcellabeautifulsemi-mirroredfinishandallowyoutomakeelectricalcontactwiththewholecuprous
oxidefaceofthecell.Thisstepisprobablythetrickiestintheproductionofthecell.
Page17
But,justaswiththelaststeps,itbecomessomewhateasierwithpractice.Usingdistilledwater,maketenpercentsolutionseachofammonia
water,potassiumhydroxideandpotassiumsodiumtartrateinseperatetesttubes. Atenpercentsolutioncanbecreatedbymixing10partsby
weightofsolutein90partsofwater. Pleaserememberthatthetesttubescanbecomewarmorevenhotwhenthewaterisfirstadded,sobesuretousePyrex
glasstesttubes.Also,makecertain youhaveampleventilationwhenmixingtheammoniasolution. Dissolvein1oz.waterasinglecrystalofsilvernitrate.The
crystalshouldbesomewhatlargerthantheheadofamatch. Beginaddingdropsoftheammoniasolutiontothedissolved silvernitrateuntilthewaterfirst
becomesbrown,andthenjust beginstoclear. Addadropofpotassiumhydroxidetothissolution.Thenagainbeginaddingdropsofammoniawateruntilthe
solutionjustbeginstoclear.Thesolutionwillremainsomewhatcloudy.Toomuchammoniainthesolutioncandissolvethecuprousoxidecoatingandcan
damageorruinthecell. Stirthemixturewhileaddingasingledropofthepotassiumsodiumtartratesolution. Themixtureisnowreadyandshouldbeused
immediately.
ApplyingTheSolution
Temperatureandvariationsinthechemicalmixturecan
dramaticallychangethetimerequiredtocompletethesilvering
process.Thebestwaytocompletethisstepisbysimplevisual
examinationoftheprocessasitproceeds.
Withthecellonaflatsurface,beginbycarefullypouringthe
silveringmixtureontothecenterofthecell.Remembertoavoid
lettingthismixturecontactanyexposedcopper.Agoodtrickis
tocoverwithpaintorlacqueranyexposedcoppersurfacesonthefaceofthecell.Continuepouringuntiltheliquidhascoveredasmuchofthe
surfaceasyoucan.Ifalltheexposedcopperonthesurfacehas
beenproperlyprotectedwiththelacquer,youcanactuallypourthesolutionuntilitcomesrighttotheedge.Sincewaterhasanaffinityforitself
called"cohesion",itwon'tspillovertheedge.Verysoon,athinfilmofsilverwillbegintoformoverthecell'ssurface.Theliquidshouldbe
pouredoffwhentheredoxideisstillslightlyvisiblebeneaththesilver.allowthesilveringprocesstogoalittletoolongratherthannot
longenoughsincesomeofthesilvercoatingcanbepolishedaway.Youshouldnowhaveasmoothsilvercoatingthroughwhich
theredoxideisbarelyvisible.
CompletingtheCellcontactcannowbemadetothecuprousoxidefaceoftheellbymeansofaringofleadorsilver-coatedwirewhichis
slightlysmallerindiameterthanthediskitself.Withtheringheldfirmlyagainstthedisk,aprotectivecoatingofthinlacquer
canbeapplied.Makecertainthelacquerdoesnotcomebetweenthewireandthedisk. Withwiresattachedtothedisk'scopperbackandthe
leador silverring,thecelliscomplete.Thediskcannowbehousedbehindglass,mountedtoasheetofplastic,castinaclearresinor
housedinanyotherenclosureyoudesire!
Page18
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
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WoodScreenprintingFrame(s)
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WoodandspecialrubberSqueegee
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Page19
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
Cadmium Sulphide ( CdS )
Crystalproperties
Crystalgrowthmethod:
Crystalgrowthorientation
Maximumsize
Variations:
Crystallographicproperties
Crystallographicstructure:
Defectsstructure
Color:
Physicalproperties
Density:
Meltingpoint:
Hardness:
Thermalconductivity:
Dielectricconstant:
Bandgap(@300 K):
Specificresistivity:
Emmissionwavelength:
Opticalproperties
Transmissionrange:
Refractionindex:
Page 20
Seededvaporphasegrowth
(0001)
Upto50mmdiameter
Dopedcrystals(onrequest)
Hexagonal
a=0.4135nm,c=0.6749nm
Inclusionswith<lOu.insize
Red
4.82g/cm3
1748C
4Mohs
15.9Wm-1 K-1
8.28 C,8.64|IC
2.53eV
~108(Ohmscm)
600nm@300K
0.5um-15urn(2mmthick)
No= 2.517,Ne=2.548
U.S.Patent Jul.23,1996 5,538,903
2.ElectricalInsulation
1.Clearglass
N-type Cdslayer=Negative
.Ag.In Electrode,5&6
AnAG.In Electrode
SUN
Light
Ancurrentcollectingcarbon
electrodelayersilver&Indiummixed
toaprintablepast. Ag&In
PositiveTerminal
P-Type CdTeLayer
Doubleortripleprint#2,todothisyouprintthefirstlayer,letdryandthenprintthe
2nd layer=60umthickness. #3layerprintonlyonelayerusingthesamescreen
printingscreen.
U.S.Patent Jul.23,1996 5,538,903
METHODOFMANUFACTURINGSOLAR
CELL
BACKGROUNDOFTHEINVENTION
1.FieldoftheInvention
Thisinventionrelatestoamethodofmanufacturinga
solarcellofcompoundsemiconductorsbywayofcoating|
andfiring.
2.DescriptionofthePriorArt
Inrecentyears,expectationsforsolarcellsasaclean
energysourcehavebeenraised,inviewoftheglobal
warming,acidrain.ozonelayerdestruction,andothersuch
environmentaldestruction.Forthewideusageofsolarcells
tooccur,improvementofthephoto-electricconversion
efficiencyandreductionofthecostaremostimportant,that
purpose,solarcellsmadeofcompoundsemiconductorsof
GroupIII-VmaterialssuchasGaAs,InP.GroupII-VI
materialssuchasCdS/Cu2S,CdS/CdTe,andGroupI-II-
I-VIamaterialssuchasCuInS2.CuInSe2,aswellascrys-
tallineandamorphoussiliconsolarcells,havebeeninves-
tigatedinmanycountriesoftheworld.Amongthese,solar
cellsmadeofcompoundsemiconductorhelerojunctionsof
n-CdS/p-CdTehavebeenproducedcommercially,withrela-
tivelylowmaterialcost,conversionefficiencyashighas
10%, lessdeteriorationoverlongtimepeniods,andarela-
tivelysimplemanufacturing processsuitableformasspro-
tuction consisting of printing, drying, firing(sinteringor
baking),resultingina highdensityarrangmenton a glass
plate and realization ofhigh voltage without outer wire
connectionon,aswellaslargeareacells.'
AtypicalsolarcellofGroupII-VIsemiconductor,of
whichasectionalviewisshowninFIG.1,comprisesaglass
substrate1ofhighlighttransmittanccandelectricalinsu-
lationprovidedononesurfacethereofwithann-typeCdS
layer2,ap-typcCdTelayer3,acurrentcollectingcarbon
electrodelayer4.anAg.Inelectrodewhichisthepositive
terminal5,andanAg.Inelectrodewhichisthenegative40
terminal6formedbylaminatingwithprintingandbakingof
eachlayer.Usually,althoughnotshowninthefigure,the
thuspreparedsolarcellelementisprovided,onboththe
Ag-Inelectrodes,withacopperpastelayerdeposited,dried,
andbakedforeasysolderingofleadwires.Thecellisthen
coveredalloverwithapassivationlayerofathermosetting
resinsuchasepoxyandbaked.
Light,includingthatofthesun,fallsonthesurfaceofthe
glasssubstrate1oppositetothesurfacehavingtheabove
solarcellelementlayers,togenerateelectricalpowerby
photo-electricconversion.
Asthesubstrate,aheat-resistantbariumborosilicateglass
isemployedwhichhasaverylowalkalimetalcontent and a
highsofteningpoint. 55
In the manufacturing of the compound semiconductor
solarcellbythecoatingandfiringmethod,itisimportant
thateachofthen-typecompoundsemiconductorlayer
p-typecompoundsemiconductorlayer,andelectrodelayer
have uniformthickness,asmoothsurface.andnopinholes!
Especially if then-typeCdS semiconductor layer formed
directly on the substrate is uniform, smooth and non-
porus,theadherenceoftheltothesubstrateis
improved,resultinginanincreaseofthelighttransmittance.
decreaseofthesheetresistance,and,further,anincreaseof
thephoto-currentandimprovementofthecharacteristicsof.
thecell.
2
Conventionally,toobtainsuchalayer,apastemadeofthe
powderedcompoundsemiconducterrorelements"therefor,an
eletroconductingagent,andaviscouseagnentmixed|together
waskeptunderreducedpressuretoremovebubbIestherein
andafterthedeposition,thesubstratewasheldhorizontally
atabout50C.,whichwaslowerthanthedryingtempera-
tureoftheviscousagent,toreducetheviscosityofthe~
viscousagentanduniformlyprecipitatetherawmaterial
powdersinordertoobtainahighdensitylayer.However,if
thebubbleswereremovedfromthepastebeforecoating,it
sometimeshappenedinthecoatingprocessbyscreenprint-
ingthatbubbleswereintroducedfromthesurrounding
'atmosphere,resultinginunevendeposition-orpin-holes.
Also,withtheheattreatmentonlyaftercoating,theraw
materialpowdersdidnotalwaysuniformlyprecipitate-and
thebubbleswerenotsufficientlyremoved,resultinginthe
layernotbeingfat,orofuniformthickness.Thepin-holes
leftaftercoatingandfiringofthelayerscausedanIncrease
ofthesheetresistance.Especially,ifpin-holeswereformed
inthep-typeCdTelayer,thecarbonparticlesofthecarbon
electrodelayerformedthereonpenetratedintothepin-holes
uptotheCdSlayerundertheCdTelayer,causinginternal
short circuitingorcurrentleakage,fatallydamagingthe
solarcellperformance.
SUMMARYOFTHEINVENTION
Itisanobjectofthepresentinventiontoprovideanew
methodofmanufacturingcompoundsemiconductorsolar
cellscomprisingntlypcandp-typecompoundsemiconduc-
torsandelectrodelayershavingimprovedperformance,
uniformcharacteristics,andIowproductioncost.brought
aboutbyformationofthelayerswithoutpin-holesandwith
uniformthicknessesandsmoothsurfaces.
Toobtaintheaboveobject,amethodofmanufacturinga
solarcellaccordingtothepresentinventioncomprisesth-
stepsofformingalayerofann-typecompoundsemicon-
ductor,alayerofap-typecompoundsemiconductor,andan
electrodelayeronaglasssubstrate,whereinatleastoneof
saidstepsofformingalayerofcompoundsemiconductor
comprisespreparingapastebymixingasemiconductorraw
materialandaviscousagent,applyingsaidpastetosaid
substrate,dryingsaidpastetohardenitandfiringsaiddried
paste,andvibratingsaidsubstrateduringoraftertheappli-
cationofthepaste.
BRIEFDESCRIPTIONOFTHEDRAWINGS
FIG.1isaschematicsectionalviewofaGroupII-VI
compoundsemiconductorsolarcellofn-CdS/p-CdTetype.
FIGS.2(A)-2(B)aremicrophotographsofsectionsof
sinteredCdSlayersonaglasssubstrate.
FIGS.3A-3Daregraphsoftheopencircuitvoltages.
shortcircuitcurrents,fillfactors,andintrinsicphotoelectric
conversionefficienciesofsolarcellsfabricatedaccordingto
thepresentinvention,aswellasbytheconventionalmethod.
DETAILEDDESCRIPTIONOFTHE
INVENTION
AnexampleofthemethodofmanufacturingaGroup
II-VIcompoundsemiconductorsolarcellaccordingtothe
presentinventionisnowexplainedbyreferringtoFIG.1.
Apastewaspreparedbymixingafinepowderofcad-
miumsulphide(CdS),cadmiumchloride(CdCI2).andpro.
pyleneglycol(PG).theCdC12beingaflux.andthePGbeing
aviscousagent.
2003
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Formanyyears,PhotowatthasbeenaEuropeanleaderinthemanufactureof
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END
#401
Homemade
SolarCells
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