| Abstract Scope |
Binary alloys like CdTe, Sb2Se3 or Sb2S3 are ceramic based materials that can be deposited on different substrates (glass, polymers). With a band gap that range from 1.2 to 1.7 eV and with an exceptionally high absorption coefficient, they have optimal photovoltaic characteristics. In particular CdTe has reached an efficiency of 22.1% and has demonstrated a remarkable robustness that allows mass scale production. Sb2Se3 instead has a unique ability for 1-D conduction along a ribbon-like structure whose orientation strongly affects electronic transport.
In this work we will present all the latest development for the production of these materials, together with their based ceramic window layers and contacts (such as CdS, CdSe, TiO2, ZnO, ITO, etc.) in order to deliver high efficiency devices.
Moreover their applications in other important fields, such as for example water remediation or water splitting, will be also presented and discussed, highlighting their multipurpose aspect. |