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Flexible CdTe solar cells on polymer films
Author(s) -
Tiwari A. N.,
Romeo A.,
Baetzner D.,
Zogg H.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.374
Subject(s) - polyimide , materials science , cadmium telluride photovoltaics , annealing (glass) , optoelectronics , layer (electronics) , thin film , substrate (aquarium) , solar cell , polymer , recrystallization (geology) , sputter deposition , sputtering , chemical engineering , composite material , nanotechnology , oceanography , geology , paleontology , engineering , biology
Lightweight and flexible CdTe/CdS solar cells on polyimide films have been developed in a ‘superstrate configuration’ where the light is absorbed in CdTe after passing through the polyimide substrate. The average optical transmission of the approximately 10‐μm‐thin spin‐coated polyimide substrate layer is more than ∼75% for wavelengths above 550 nm. RF magnetron sputtering was used to grow transparent conducting ZnO:Al layers on polyimide films. CdTe/CdS layers were grown by evaporation of compounds, and a CdCl 2 annealing treatment was applied for the recrystallization and junction activation. Solar cells of 8·6% efficiency with V oc = 763 mV, I sc = 20·3 mA/cm 2 and FF = 55·7% were obtained. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.