A diffusion barrier for flexible thin film photovoltaics

Thin film solar cells on flexible metal substrates require diffusion barriers in order to prevent the diffusion of detrimental species from the metallic flexible substrate into the photovoltaic device layers. This work demonstrates that an electrolessly deposited 300 nm nickel phosphorous film functions as a diffusion barrier to iron and chromium diffusion on a flexible stainless steel substrate. © 2013 The Electrochemical Society.