Development of ZnO nanowire based CdTe thin film solar cells

Major, Jonathan D.
Tena-Zaera, Ramon
Azaceta, Eneko
Bowen, L.
Durose, K.

Open link

Publication date

February 2017

DOI

10.1016/j.solmat.2016.10.024

Publisher

The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Abstract

AbstractThis work reports on the development of CdTe thin film solar cells grown on ZnO nanowire arrays. The focus was placed on utilising ZnO nanowire arrays as a replacement to the conventional ZnO thin film buffer layer, thereby requiring minimal alteration to the existing solar cell structure. Incorporation of nanowires was found to alter subsequent film growth and processing, with the nanowire dimensions changing device performance significantly. Shorter, ~100nm, wires were found to produce particularly low device performance of <0.5% whilst longer wires in the range 250–2000nm were able to produce more functional cells. Working devices of up to 9.5% efficiency were achieved through the production of “embedded tip” nanowire solar cells...