Iron pyrite nanocrystal film as a copper-free back contact for polycrystalline CdTe thin film solar cells

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United States Patent and Trademark Office

Abstract

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The invention discloses nanocrystalline (NC) FeS2 thin films as the back contact for CdTe solar cells. In one example, the FeS2 NC layer is prepared from a solution directly on the CdTe surface using spin-casting and chemical treatment at ambient temperature and pressure, without a thermal treatment step. Solar cells prepared by applying the NC FeS2 back contact onto CdTe yield efficiencies of about 95% to 100% that of standard Cu/Au back contact devices. In another example, FeS2 is interposed between Cu and Au to form a Cu/FeS2 NC/Au back contact configuration yielding an efficiency improvement of 5 to 9 percent higher than standard Cu/Au devices.

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H01L31/0296, H01L31/02, H01L31/032, H01L31/0392, H01L31/073, H01L31/0224

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