Thursday, December 15, 2011

What is Cadmium Telluride

Cadmium telluride is a crystalline compound formed from cadmium and tellurium. It is used as an infrared optical window and a solar cell material. It is usually sandwiched with cadmium sulfide to form a p-n junction photovoltaic solar cell. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is a photovoltaic (PV) technology based on the use of a thin film of CdTe to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. Typically, CdTe cells use a n-i-p structure. This is a major step for First Solar’s technology, which will help the company continue to drive down manufacturing costs. A robust and mature technology that uses 98% less semiconductor than crystalline silicon modules, CdTe is a compound made from by-products of zinc and copper mining operations.
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is the leading semiconductor technology for creating high-performance, low-cost solar modules for large-scale installations. These improvements in cost and efficiency come during a very competitive time for solar manufacturers, which are seeing intense downward pressure on prices. CdTe Thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules offer the lowest-cost solar technology, allowing systems using Abound Solar's CdTe modules to deliver the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Typically, CdTe cells use a n-i-p structure.   
Cadmium Telluride is widely used in the manufacture of solar cells, semiconductor material, visible-band optoelectronic devices, photosensitive drum, laser modulation, visible light detectors, laser window materials, Infrared two-color detector, photoluminescence, electroluminescence, cathode-ray emitting material. CdTe is growing rapidly in acceptance and now represents the second most utilized solar cell material in the world. It currently produces modules for 75 cents a watt (almost 25 cents lower than the lowest conventional panel producers) at an efficiency of 11.7 percent. As the largest manufacture of PV modules in the world, First Solar Inc (FSLR) is the defending champion.
You may want to know more about: Cadmium telluride

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