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Exploring Back Contact Technology to Increase CdS/CdTe Solar Cell Efficiency

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Alan L. Fahrenbruch
Alan L. Fahrenbruch*
Affiliation:
alanf@stanford.edu, Colorado State University, Department of Physics, 107 Montalvo Rd., Redwood City, CA, 94062, United States
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Abstract

The primary routes for increasing CdS/CdTe solar cell efficiency involve increasing free carrier density, reducing bulk and interface recombination, and/or reducing back contact barrier height. This paper focuses on the role of the back contact barrier in increasing cell efficiency. Measurement of barrier height and back surface recombination are outlined and three CdTe/MX/M back contact prototypes, each with particular strengths, are discussed to bring out important issues.

Keywords

photovoltaicthin filmelectrical properties

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1012: Symposium Y – Thin-Film Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaics-2007 , 2007 , 1012-Y07-05
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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