Tin is a vital component of the transparent conductive electrodes in thin-film PV (TFPV) cells, but its use is often overshadowed by that of indium, which is much more costly. Tin is used along with indium in indium tin oxide (ITO) and also without indium as tin oxide, which is frequently doped with other materials. ITO has been falling out of favor for TFPV electrodes over the past decade but still accounts for roughly one-third of the market. Tin oxide is one of two major alternative TCOs gaining market share for TFPV electrodes (the other being zinc oxide, similarly doped with other materials). Tin oxide's growing penetration within the TFPV market is mainly due to two factors: a trend of substitution for ITO in amorphous silicon (a-Si) PV and the growth of CdTe PV, which almost universally uses tin oxide.
Click here for more information
|