Electron transport in CdTe/ZnO radial nanowire array solar cells

Abstract: This project was conducted during the spring of 2013 at the IMEP-LAHC laboratory in Grenoble, as part of their research into the electrical and optical properties of ZnO/CdTe-based radial nanowire array solar cells. Simulations with different transport mechanisms and physical properties of the semiconductors were made and compared to experimentally acquired data. It was confirmed that the nanowire array setup is advantageous compared to a conventional planar structure, and it was also found that quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons through crystal defects or impurities in the core/shell interface could be the main dark current transport mechanism.