Crystalline Fault Lines Provide Pathway for Solar Cell Current
Monday, September 26, 2016 - 10:51
in Physics & Chemistry
A team of scientists studying solar cells made from cadmium telluride, a promising alternative to silicon, has discovered that microscopic "fault lines" within and between crystals of the material act as conductive pathways that ease the flow of electric current. This research-conducted at the University of Connecticut and the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, and described in the journal Nature Energy-may help explain how a common processing technique turns cadmium telluride into an excellent material for transforming sunlight into electricity, and suggests a strategy for engineering more efficient solar devices that surpass the performance of silicon.