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CdS/CdTe Thin-Film Solar Cell with a Zinc Stannate Buffer Layer

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6608

This paper describes an improved CdS/CdTe polycrystalline thin-film solar-cell device structure that integrates a zinc stannate (Zn2SnO4 or ZTO) buffer layer between the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer and the CdS window layer. Zinc stannate films have a high bandgap, high transmittance, low absorptance, and low surface roughness. In addition, these films are chemically stable and exhibit higher resistivities that are roughly matched to that of the CdS window layer in the device structure. Preliminary device results have demonstrated that by integrating a ZTO buffer layer in both SnO2-based and Cd2SnO4 (CTO)-based CdS/CdTe devices, performance and reproducibility can be significantly enhanced

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-83CH10093
OSTI ID:
6608
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-520-25656; ON: DE00006608
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English