The transformation behaviour of cuprous sulphides and its application to the efficiency of CuxS–CdS solar cells

Abstract

Recent work on the transformation behaviour of the two cuprous sulphide phases, chalcocite and djurleite, has shown that there need be no compositional difference between them, and that djurleite is the lower free energy phase at room temperatures. The significance of these conclusions is discussed in relation to two problems concerned with Cu_xS-CdS solar cells : (1) to the conditions under which the copper sulphide phases form in the topotaxial growth on CdS and (2) to the long-term degradation of these cells.