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High-Efficiency CdTe Polycrystalline Thin-Film Solar Cells with an Ultra-Thin CuxTe Transparent Back-Contact

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

X. Wu ,
J. Zhou ,
A. Duda ,
J. C. Keane ,
T.A. Gessert ,
Y. Yan  and
R. Noufi
X. Wu
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
J. Zhou
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
A. Duda
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
J. C. Keane
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
T.A. Gessert
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
Y. Yan
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
R. Noufi
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
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Abstract

To fabricate a high-efficiency polycrystalline thin-film tandem cell, the most critical work is to make a high-efficiency top cell (>15%) with high bandgap (Eg=1.5-1.8 eV) and high transmission (T>70%) in the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength region. The CdTe cell is one of the candidates for the top cell, because CdTe state-of-the-art single-junction devices with efficiencies of more than 16% are available, although its bandgap (1.48 eV) is slightly lower for a top cell in a dual-junction device. In this paper, we focus on the development of an ultra-thin, low-bandgap CuxTe transparent back-contact to produce high-efficiency CdTe cells with high NIR transmission. We have achieved an NREL-confirmed 13.9%-efficient CdTe transparent solar cell with an infrared transmission of ~50% and a CdTe/CIS polycrystalline mechanically stacked thin-film tandem cell with an NREL-confirmed efficiency of 15.3%.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 865: Symposium F – Thin-Film Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaics , 2005 , F114
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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