Chinese Academy of Sciences cadmium telluride thin film solar cells have a broad market space

Due to the high production cost of crystalline silicon cells, large energy consumption, long return period, and the conversion efficiency has approached its theoretical limit, the space for performance improvement is very limited. In recent years, thin-film solar cells have become a new hope for the photovoltaic industry. Currently, thin-film silicon solar cells have low photoelectric conversion efficiency and inherent defects in photo-induced attenuation. In addition to the large investment in production equipment, the cost of thin-film silicon solar cells is unlikely to drop significantly within a short time. However, due to the low production cost of CdTe thin-film solar cells, The conversion efficiency is also higher than that of the thin-film silicon battery, and its large-scale mass production has a very high cost performance. At the same time, the CdTe battery passes the European environmental protection standard, and the Cd content of the solar battery is not within the limits of heavy metals. CdTe thin-film solar cells have the advantages of low cost, high efficiency, long service life, low material consumption, low investment, low energy consumption, flexibility, high specific power, good low-light performance, strong radiation resistance, high potential for performance improvement, and environmental friendliness. The advantages are considered to be one of the most promising new generation solar cells, with a broad market space and good prospects for development.

Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Silicate used near-vacuum method to prepare CdTe thin-film solar cells in the laboratory. The main quality indicators were: photoelectric conversion efficiency>10.0%; effective area was 5×5cm2. The CdTe battery prepared by near-vacuum method has inherent advantages that are difficult to compare with other processes in controlling the composition and uniformity of the film. With the increase of laboratory battery integration technology, the efficiency of the battery will be rapidly improved. Moreover, when large-area batteries are scaled up for pilot-scale technologies, the reliability of laboratory processes (yield can reach 90% or more) and portability are very strong, which is conducive to the smooth and rapid advancement of industrial production.