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Back contacts materials used in thin film CdTe solar cells : a review

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Hall, Ralph, Lamb, Dan and Irvine, Stuart James Curzon (2021) Back contacts materials used in thin film CdTe solar cells : a review. Energy Science & Engineering, 9 (5). pp. 606-632. doi:10.1002/ese3.843

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ese3.843

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Abstract

CdTe is the leading commercial thin film photovoltaic technology with current record laboratory efficiency (22.1%). However, there is much potential for progress toward the Shockley-Queisser limit (32%). The best CdTe devices have short-circuit current close to the limit but open-circuit voltage has much room for improvement. Back contact optimization is likely to play a key role in any improvement. Back contact material choice is also influenced by their applicability in more complex architectures such as bifacial and tandem solar cells, where high visible and/or near-infrared transparency is required in conjunction with their electrical properties. The CdTe research community has employed many back contact materials and processes to realize them. Excellent reviews of back contacts were published by McCandless and Sites (2011) and Kumar and Rao (2014). There have been numerous publications on CdTe back contacts since 2014. This review includes both recent and older literature to give a comprehensive picture. It includes a categorization of back contact interface materials into groups such as oxides, chalcogenides, pnictides, halides, and organics. The authors attempt to identify the more promising material groups. Attention is drawn to parallels with back contact materials used on other thin film photovoltaics such as perovskites and kesterites.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QC Physics
Q Science > QD Chemistry
T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Cadmium telluride , Solar cells, Thin films, Photovoltaic cells, Short circuits
Journal or Publication Title: Energy Science & Engineering
Publisher: Wiley
ISSN: 2050-0505
Official Date: May 2021
Dates:
DateEvent
May 2021Published
10 February 2021Available
27 October 2020Accepted
Volume: 9
Number: 5
Page Range: pp. 606-632
DOI: 10.1002/ese3.843
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
EP/R035997/1[EPSRC] Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266

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