Wiring-up Carbon Single Wall Nanotubes to Polycrystalline Inorganic Semiconductor Thin Films: Low-Barrier, Copper-Free Back Contact to CdTe Solar Cells

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.