CdTe Schottky diodes from colloidal nanocrystals

We have fabricated ultrathin photovoltaic cadmium telluride (CdTe) film solar cells from colloidal nanorod solutions with a power conversion efficiency of 5.0% and internal quantum efficiency approaching unity near the band edge. Sintering of the CdTe nanorod films was necessary to facilitate grain growth and enhanced optical absorption. By analyzing electrode dependence, capacitance-voltage, temperature dependence, and current-voltage characteristics, the device performance is shown to be dominated by the formation of a p-CdTe/Al Schottky junction. The reduced need for material and cheaper processing make this an attractive technology for solar power generation.