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CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future

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  • Alessandro Romeo

    (Laboratory for Photovoltaics and Solid-State Physics (LAPS), Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Ca’ Vignal 1, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy)

  • Elisa Artegiani

    (Laboratory for Photovoltaics and Solid-State Physics (LAPS), Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Ca’ Vignal 1, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy)

Abstract

CdTe is a very robust and chemically stable material and for this reason its related solar cell thin film photovoltaic technology is now the only thin film technology in the first 10 top producers in the world. CdTe has an optimum band gap for the Schockley-Queisser limit and could deliver very high efficiencies as single junction device of more than 32%, with an open circuit voltage of 1 V and a short circuit current density exceeding 30 mA/cm 2 . CdTe solar cells were introduced at the beginning of the 70s and they have been studied and implemented particularly in the last 30 years. The strong improvement in efficiency in the last 5 years was obtained by a new redesign of the CdTe solar cell device reaching a single solar cell efficiency of 22.1% and a module efficiency of 19%. In this paper we describe the fabrication process following the history of the solar cell as it was developed in the early years up to the latest development and changes. Moreover the paper also presents future possible alternative absorbers and discusses the only apparently controversial environmental impacts of this fantastic technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Romeo & Elisa Artegiani, 2021. "CdTe-Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Past, Present and Future," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-24, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:6:p:1684-:d:519546
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Francisca Werlinger & Camilo Segura & Javier Martínez & Igor Osorio-Roman & Danilo Jara & Seog Joon Yoon & Andrés Fabián Gualdrón-Reyes, 2023. "Current Progress of Efficient Active Layers for Organic, Chalcogenide and Perovskite-Based Solar Cells: A Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-35, August.
    2. Deng-Bing Li & Sandip S. Bista & Rasha A. Awni & Sabin Neupane & Abasi Abudulimu & Xiaoming Wang & Kamala K. Subedi & Manoj K. Jamarkattel & Adam B. Phillips & Michael J. Heben & Jonathan D. Poplawsky, 2022. "20%-efficient polycrystalline Cd(Se,Te) thin-film solar cells with compositional gradient near the front junction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Mohamed Derbeli & Cristian Napole & Oscar Barambones & Jesus Sanchez & Isidro Calvo & Pablo Fernández-Bustamante, 2021. "Maximum Power Point Tracking Techniques for Photovoltaic Panel: A Review and Experimental Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-31, November.
    4. Sharmarke Hassan & Mahmoud Dhimish, 2022. "Review of Current State-of-the-Art Research on Photovoltaic Soiling, Anti-Reflective Coating, and Solar Roads Deployment Supported by a Pilot Experiment on a PV Road," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-24, December.
    5. Alessio Bosio & Gianluca Foti & Stefano Pasini & Donato Spoltore, 2023. "A Review on the Fundamental Properties of Sb 2 Se 3 -Based Thin Film Solar Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-28, September.
    6. Małgorzata Jastrzębska, 2022. "Installation’s Conception in the Field of Renewable Energy Sources for the Needs of the Silesian Botanical Garden," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-28, September.
    7. McNulty, Brian A. & Jowitt, Simon M., 2022. "Byproduct critical metal supply and demand and implications for the energy transition: A case study of tellurium supply and CdTe PV demand," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).

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    Keywords

    solar cells; thin films; CdTe;
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