A doped photovoltaic device is presented. The photovoltaic device includes a semiconductor absorber layer or stack disposed between a front contact and a back contact. The absorber layer comprises cadmium, selenium, and tellurium doped with Ag, and optionally with Cu. The Ag dopant may be added to the absorber in amounts ranging from 510.sup.15/cm.sup.3 to 2.510.sup.17/cm.sup.3 via any of several methods of application before, during, or after deposition of the absorber layer. The photovoltaic device has improved Fill Factor and P.sub.MAX at higher P.sub.r (=I.sub.sc*V.sub.oc product) values, e.g. about 160 W, which results in improved conversion efficiency compared to a device not doped with Ag. Improved PT may result from increased I.sub.sc, increased V.sub.oc, or both.

In a method of cleaning a substrate, a solution including a size-modification material is applied on a substrate, on which particles to be removed are disposed. Size-modified particles having larger size than the particles are generated, from the particles and the size-modification material. The size-modified particles are removed from the substrate.

A method of creating cadmium telluride films is presented. The method demonstrates heterogeneous nucleation of CdTe directly on a substrate through sequential deposition of aqueous precursor solutions containing cadmium and telluride ions, respectively. The method can include (i) applying a cadmium precursor solution to the substrate to form a cadmium precursor film on the substrate, (ii) applying a telluride precursor solution to the cadmium precursor film. The telluride precursor solution includes Te.sup.2 in solution such that a CdTe film is adherently formed directly on the substrate.

A device comprising: a plurality of gold nanoparticles coupled with an intertwined ZnO nanorods network, wherein the device is configured for detecting light in the visible wavelength.

Described are flexible electronics incorporating a bacterial cellulose paper substrate and methods of making and using the flexible electronics. Example devices disclosed include photovoltaic cells constructed over bacterial cellulose paper substrates.

A method of making a photovoltaic cell includes providing a metal oxide substrate. The substrate is at least translucent to light. The substrate is directed through a deposition chamber. A semiconductor is deposited over a first major surface of the substrate. The semiconductor includes a polycrystalline p-type layer. The semiconductor is exposed to a chlorine-containing compound or a chlorine molecule. A second electrode layer is provided over the semiconductor.

Disclosed herein are CdTe-based solar cells that are successfully removed from their glass superstrate through a combination of lamination to a backsheet followed by thermal shock.

Devices converting light to electricity (such as solar cells or photodetectors) including a heavily-doped p-type a-SiC.sub.y:H and an i-Mg.sub.xCd.sub.1-xTe/n-CdTe/NMg.sub.0.24Cd.sub.0.76Te double heterostructure (DH), with power conversion efficiency of as high as 17%, V.sub.oc as high as 1.096 V, and all operational characteristics being substantially better than those of monocrystalline solar cells known to-date. The a-SiC.sub.y:H layer is configured to enable high built-in potential while, at the same time, allowing the doped absorber to maintain a very long carry lifetime. In comparison, similar undoped CdTe/Mg.sub.xCd.sub.1-xTe DH designs reveal a long carrier lifetime of 3.6 s and an interface recommendation velocity of 1.2 cm/s, which are lower than the record values reported for GaAs/Al.sub.0.5Ga.sub.0.5As (18 cm/s) and GaAs/Ga.sub.0.5In.sub.0.5P (1.5 cm/s) DHs.

A photovoltaic device is presented. The photovoltaic device includes a layer stack; and an absorber layer is disposed on the layer stack. The absorber layer comprises selenium, wherein an atomic concentration of selenium varies across a thickness of the absorber layer. The photovoltaic device is substantially free of a cadmium sulfide layer.

Methods for growing and using large-grain templates are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a method includes depositing a small-grain layer of a semiconductor material; treating the small-grain layer such that the small-grain layer becomes a large-grain layer; and growing an epitaxial layer of the semiconductor material on the large-grain layer. A ratio of an average grain size of the small-grain layer to a thickness of the small-grain layer is less than 1.0, and a ratio of an average grain size of the large-grain layer to a thickness of the large-grain layer is greater than 1.5.