First Solar has been a leader in thin film photovoltaic modules using cadmium telluride.
Well, I can with tellurium: this is used with cadmium to make cadmium telluride cells.
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So far, First Solar has ruled the roost in thin film solar with cadmium telluride thin film.
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If crystalline silicon or other thin-film technologies compete with cadmium telluride on costs, buyers might opt to avoid First Solar's toxicity.
It uses a non-silicon material called cadmium telluride to make ultra thin solar panels while the vast majority of its competitors use silicon.
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The new solar structure consists of n-type nanocones made of zinc oxide surrounded by a p-type semiconductor matrix made of polycrystalline cadmium telluride.
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The attraction of cadmium telluride thin-film solar is its lower cost.
Questions also linger about First Solar's cadmium telluride cells.
First Solar executives are bullish about the cadmium telluride technology, naturally, and its chief technology officer, Raffi Garabedian, outlined a few of the big changes that the company will introduce to its production process to boost the efficiency.
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The ink will work on silicon solar panels as well as those using alternative materials such as cadmium telluride (used by First Solar in the U.S.) or copper indium gallium selenide (used by Solar Frontier in Japan).
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Among the technologies are new ways of making already-commercialized formulations, like amorphous silicon and cadmium telluride, and newer formulations like CIGS, named for the elements it is made out of, copper, indium, gallium and selenium, and CIS, which leaves out the gallium.
Just last week, GE Energy (NYSE:GE) laid off workers and put expansion plans at their Colorado factory on hold for at least 18 months while they try to improve the Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) thin film solar technology they plan to produce there.
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The three main types of thin film technologies use cadmium-telluride, copper-indium-gallium-selenide and amorphous-silicon to convert sunlight into electricity.
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The Arizona company excels at making cadmium-telluride solar panels efficiently and cheaply.
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The target for AQT and most CIGS makers is First Solar, which has become the largest solar company in the world selling its thin film modules made out of cadmium and telluride.
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