Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is mainly used in the field of photovoltaic power generation and has good future market prospects.

Cadmium telluride, whose chemical formula is CdTe, is a black cubic crystal with a sphalerite crystal structure and a high melting point. It is insoluble in water and insoluble in acid. It can be decomposed by reacting with nitric acid and can be oxidized in humid air. Cadmium telluride is a II-VI compound semiconductor material with a direct transition energy band structure, high electron mobility and large band gap.

The main preparation methods of cadmium telluride are: using tellurium and cadmium as raw materials, heating reaction in the presence of hydrogen; using cadmium tellurite as raw material, heating and reduction in the presence of hydrogen; using sodium telluride and cadmium acetate as Raw materials are obtained through reaction. Cadmium telluride is generally prepared into single crystals or polycrystals for use. The main crystal growth processes include directional crystallization (Brichmann method), vapor sublimation method, melt growth method, tellurium flux method, etc. Among them, Brichmann method The Mann method is currently used in a relatively high proportion.

According to the “Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report 2022-2026” released by the Industrial Research Center It shows that cadmium telluride can be doped to obtain n-type semiconductor and p-type semiconductor materials, which can be used in infrared detectors, radiation detectors, infrared electro-optical modulators, lenses, substrates, light-emitting devices and other product manufacturing fields; Cadmium telluride has a high light absorption coefficient. Solar cells made from it have high energy conversion efficiency and have broad prospects in the field of photovoltaic power generation.

From the perspective of the photovoltaic power generation market, cadmium telluride is mainly used to manufacture thin-film solar cells. Its production cost is lower than traditional crystalline silicon solar cells. It has the advantages of high photoelectric conversion efficiency, good flexibility, and relatively simple process. It has attracted global attention. With the attention of many countries, the scale of the industry is gradually expanding. In my country, since 2009, the thin-film solar cell industry has entered a stage of rapid development, and output has continued to rise rapidly, which is good for the development of the cadmium telluride industry.

In recent years, in order to achieve energy conservation, emission reduction and carbon neutrality, with the support of national policies, my country’s building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market has developed rapidly. BIPV has the function of generating electricity, which can reduce the load on the power grid, significantly reduce building energy consumption, and reduce pollutant emissions. Compared with crystalline silicon solar cells, cadmium telluride thin film solar cells also have the advantages of high aesthetics, strong customization, and better integration with buildings. They have become the main material for manufacturing power generation glass in the BIPV industry.

Industry analysts said that in the global solar cell market, crystalline silicon solar cells still dominate, and thin-film solar cells have a smaller share. , so although cadmium telluride is the main material for manufacturing thin-film solar cells (its application accounts for more than 85%), the market share of cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells is still low, less than 4.3% in 2021. The global market’s requirements for the energy conversion efficiency of solar cells continue to increase, and the market size of cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells will continue to expand in the future. Against this background, the cadmium telluride industry has good development prospects.