Wiring-up carbon single wall nanotubes to polycrystalline inorganic semiconductor thin films: low-barrier, copper-free back contact to CdTe solar cells

Adam B Phillips; Rajendra R Khanal; Zhaoning Song; Rosa M Zartman; Jonathan L DeWitt; Jon M Stone; Paul J Roland; Victor V Plotnikov; Chad W Carter; John M Stayancho; Randall J Ellingson; Alvin D Compaan; Michael J Heben

doi:10.1021/nl402659c

Wiring-up carbon single wall nanotubes to polycrystalline inorganic semiconductor thin films: low-barrier, copper-free back contact to CdTe solar cells

Nano Lett. 2013 Nov 13;13(11):5224-32. doi: 10.1021/nl402659c. Epub 2013 Oct 30.

Authors

Adam B Phillips¹, Rajendra R Khanal, Zhaoning Song, Rosa M Zartman, Jonathan L DeWitt, Jon M Stone, Paul J Roland, Victor V Plotnikov, Chad W Carter, John M Stayancho, Randall J Ellingson, Alvin D Compaan, Michael J Heben

Affiliation

¹ Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Solar and Advanced Renewable Energy, University of Toledo , Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States.

PMID: 24156376
DOI: 10.1021/nl402659c

Abstract

We have discovered that films of carbon single wall nanotubes (SWNTs) make excellent back contacts to CdTe devices without any modification to the CdTe surface. Efficiencies of SWNT-contacted devices are slightly higher than otherwise identical devices formed with standard Au/Cu back contacts. The SWNT layer is thermally stable and easily applied with a spray process, and SWNT-contacted devices show no signs of degradation during accelerated life testing.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.