Cu2Te solar cells fabricated by printing

Cu2Te particles were synthesised by ball milling and then printed on an In2S3/TiO2/FTO–glass substrate, resulting in superstrate–structured solar cells. The as–prepared Cu2Te particles were amorphous, but their crystallinity was improved after annealing at 400–650°C. The Cu2Te particles annealed at 400°C, melted partially, and a completely melted Cu2Te film was obtained at annealing temperatures of 600–650°C. The band gap of the Cu2Te films annealed at 400–600°C was approximately 0.8 eV. The photovoltaic characteristics of the best full Cu2Te cells were as follows: short–circuit current, 21 mA/cm²; open–circuit voltage, 0.24 V; fill factor, 0.3; and energy conversion efficiency, 1.57%. Thus, Cu2Te with its low melting point and high photocurrent is a promising candidate absorber layer for solar cell applications.