Hybrid solar cells with vertically aligned CdTe nanorods and a conjugated polymer

Vertically aligned CdTe nanorods were fabricated by electrodeposition and were applied for the active layer of solar cells after being combined with poly(3-octylthiophene) (P3OT), a conjugated polymer. The electrodeposited CdTe showed an $n$-type behavior with the electric resistivity and the electron density of $2×106Ωcm$⁠, $1.3×1010cm−3$⁠, respectively. Quantum efficiency curve of the hybrid solar cells exhibited a peak at the same wavelength as the optical absorption for CdTe nanorods. The hybrid solar cells demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of 1.06%, whereas the efficiency was only 0.0006% without the nanorods.