Thin-Film Photovoltaics: CdTe, CIGS, and Kesterite Absorbers
This community develops thin-film solar cells using absorber materials such as cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium selenide, and kesterite compounds to convert sunlight into electricity.
The research focuses on optimizing the efficiency and stability of these photovoltaic devices through specific material engineering. Key recurring themes include the deposition of thin films via chemical bath deposition and spray pyrolysis, the design of buffer layers, and the structural optimization of absorber layers. Specific materials frequently studied include cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and antimony-based sulfides and selenides. The work addresses technical challenges such as carrier recombination, grain growth, and interface engineering to improve cell performance.
The largest share of this community's output is found in tellurium research, accounting for 13.4% of all tellurium research, and 2,610 papers here. It also represents 8.6% of selenium research and 7.4% of cadmium research.
The community comprises 10,126 papers, with the most frequent publication venues being Thin Solid Films, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, and Solar Energy.
Recent work continues to focus on improving the efficiency of kesterite and antimony-based solar cells, with studies addressing defect engineering, grain growth, and interfacial modifications to enhance device performance.
Papers behind this description
- High-concentration silver alloying and steep back-contact gallium grading enabling copper indium gallium selenide solar cell with 23.6% efficiency — Nature Energy, 2024 — doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01472-3
- CdTe-based thin film photovoltaics: Recent advances, current challenges and future prospects — Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2023 — doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2023.112289
- Control of the phase evolution of kesterite by tuning of the selenium partial pressure for solar cells with 13.8% certified efficiency — Nature Energy, 2023 — doi:10.1038/s41560-023-01251-6
- Heat treatment in an oxygen-rich environment to suppress deep-level traps in Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cell with 11.51% certified efficiency — Nature Energy, 2025 — doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01756-2
- Progress in Thin-Film Photovoltaics: A Review of Key Strategies to Enhance the Efficiency of CIGS, CdTe, and CZTSSe Solar Cells — Journal of Composites Science, 2025 — doi:10.3390/jcs9030143
- Elemental de-mixing-induced epitaxial kesterite/CdS interface enabling 13%-efficiency kesterite solar cells — Nature Energy, 2022 — doi:10.1038/s41560-022-01132-4
- Binary Oxide Ceramics (TiO2, ZnO, Al2O3, SiO2, CeO2, Fe2O3, and WO3) for Solar Cell Applications: A Comparative and Bibliometric Analysis — Ceramics, 2025 — doi:10.3390/ceramics8040119
- Additive engineering for Sb2S3 indoor photovoltaics with efficiency exceeding 17% — Light Science & Applications, 2024 — doi:10.1038/s41377-024-01620-0
- Carrier management through electrode and electron-selective layer engineering for 10.70% efficiency antimony selenosulfide solar cells — Nature Energy, 2025 — doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01792-y
- Strong Chelating Additive and Modified Electron Transport Layer for 8.26%‐Efficient Sb 2 S 3 Solar Cells — Advanced Energy Materials, 2025 — doi:10.1002/aenm.202406051
- Suppressing Buried Interface Nonradiative Recombination Losses Toward High‐Efficiency Antimony Triselenide Solar Cells — Advanced Materials, 2023 — doi:10.1002/adma.202308522
- Cadmium‐Free Kesterite Thin‐Film Solar Cells with High Efficiency Approaching 12% — Advanced Science, 2023 — doi:10.1002/advs.202302869
- Atomic-Scale Defect Reconfiguration via Thermally Induced Structural Ordering for High-Efficiency Sb 2 Se 3 Solar Cells — ACS Nano, 2025 — doi:10.1021/acsnano.5c10733
- Vacancy-enhanced cation ordering via magnesium doping to enable kesterite solar cells with 14.9% certified efficiency — Nature Energy, 2025 — doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01902-w
- Rapid Grain Growth to Attain over 13% Certified Flexible CZTSSe Solar Cell — ACS Energy Letters, 2025 — doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.5c02195
- Understanding efficiency losses from radiative and nonradiative recombination in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells — Nature Communications, 2025 — doi:10.1038/s41467-025-63345-x
- Advancing Earth-Abundant CZTSSe Solar Cells: Recent Progress in Efficiency and Defect Engineering — Nanomaterials, 2025 — doi:10.3390/nano15211617
- Ionic Liquid‐Assisted Crystallization Strategy Enables Simultaneous Regulation of Microstructure and Trap States for High‐Efficiency Sb 2 (S,Se) 3 Solar Cells — Advanced Materials, 2026 — doi:10.1002/adma.202519583