16.0% efficient thin-film CdS/CdTe solar cells

High efficiency cadmium sulfide (CdS)/cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells have been developed using ultra-thin CdS films having a thickness of 50 nm. CdS films deposited on indium tin oxide (IT0)/ 1737 glass substrates by the metal organic chemical vapor deposition technique, and CdTe films subsequently deposited by the close-spaced sublimation technique were used for the fabrication of CdS/CdTe solar cells. A photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 16.0% under Air Mass (AM) 1.5 conditions has been measured by the Japan Quality Assurance Organization.