CuTe Nanoparticles/Carbon Nanotubes as Back Contact for CdTe Solar Cells

The Schottky barrier between the CdTe layer and metal electrode has opposite polarity to the CdS/CdTe cell junction, which can greatly degrade cell performance. Adding a back contact (BC) layer can reduce the Schottky barrier at metal/p-CdTe interfaces. Paste including CuTe nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (CuTe NPs/CNTs) was used as a BC in thin-film CdTe solar cells. The effect of the mass of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the paste and the BC annealing temperature on cell performance was explored. Cu film and paste including Cu nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (Cu NPs/CNTs) were fabricated as the BC for CdTe solar cells. The performance of CdTe solar cells based on different kinds of Cu-containing BCs studied. The fill factor and open-circuit voltage (V (OC)) of devices with CuTe NPs/CNTs BC were greatly improved by optimizing the mass of CNTs in the paste and the annealing temperature. The carrier concentration in the CdTe layer was improved by one order of magnitude. The CuTe NPs/CNTs BC showed the best effect on cell efficiency for the Cu-containing BC.