Abstract Recently, the CdTe solar cell technology reached a high-tech level able to realize devices showing efficiencies close to 22%. Nowadays, this technology acquires more and more market share, becoming the most promising among the thin film technologies. These important achievements are the result of more than 40 years of studies and researches that have synergically group together the photovoltaic module manufacturing technology with semiconductor and interfaces physics, modeling, characterization and measurements on electronic devices. This paper shows the main steps of the production process of the thin film CdTe/CdS-based solar cells both from a technological and from a physical point of view. In particular, the main differences between cells fabricated in superstrate and in substrate configuration will be highlighted. For each of these two structures the fundamental layers, their main alternatives, chemical and thermal treatments, interfaces, the won challenges and the still open-problems will be presented and discussed.

中文翻译：

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薄膜CdTe/CdS太阳能电池的过去、现在和未来

摘要 最近，CdTe太阳能电池技术达到了能够实现器件效率接近22%的高科技水平。如今，该技术获得越来越多的市场份额，成为薄膜技术中最有前途的技术。这些重要成就是 40 多年研究和研究的结果，这些研究将光伏模块制造技术与半导体和界面物理、建模、表征和电子设备测量相结合。本文从技术和物理角度展示了薄膜 CdTe/CdS 基太阳能电池生产过程的主要步骤。特别是，将突出显示在覆板和基板配置中制造的电池之间的主要差异。