Solution grown PbS/CdS multilayer stacks as selective absorbers

Abstract

Multilayer selective absorbers, consisting of PbS and CdS films have been designed and fabricated using solution growth technique. A mathematical model has been formulated using matrix multiplication method to calculate reflectance of these absorbers. The thickness of each film has been optimized to obtain α s > 0.90 Coatings with such films have been prepared on Ni coated Cu and stainless steel substrates. The best values of α s and ε 100 obtained are 0.92 and 0.12 respectively, in close agreement with the estimated values. The technique has been exploited to make coatings with as many as 6 alternate layers of PbS and CdS.