Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is a semiconductor material composed of two elements, cadmium and tellurium. It is a direct bandgap semiconductor with excellent optoelectronic properties, especially in the photovoltaic field.

Cadmium telluride has a band gap of about 1.5 eV, which allows it to absorb most of the visible light in the solar spectrum, making it an ideal material for thin-film solar cells. Cadmium telluride solar cells have a high light absorption coefficient and good electrical properties, which can be converted into high photoelectric conversion efficiency.

Uses of Cadmium Telluride are shown as below:

1. Solar cells: Cadmium telluride is a key material for the manufacture of thin-film solar cells, especially for the manufacture of high-efficiency and flexible solar cells. With a bandgap of about 1.5 eV, it is ideally suited to absorb most of the visible light in the solar spectrum and thus enables high photoelectric conversion efficiency.

2. Photodetectors: The optoelectronic properties of cadmium telluride make it suitable for the manufacture of photodetectors, which can be used to monitor and analyze light in the range from visible to near-infrared. They have applications in fields such as laser ranging, environmental monitoring, medical imaging, and military reconnaissance.

3. Light-emitting diodes and laser diodes: While cadmium telluride is primarily used in photovoltaic applications, it can also be used to make light-emitting devices such as LEDs and laser diodes, which have applications in areas such as lighting, display technology, and communications.

4. Thermoelectric materials: Cadmium telluride can also be used as a thermoelectric material in thermoelectric power generation and refrigeration applications. Thermoelectric materials can convert temperature differences into electrical energy or cool them by applying an electric current.

5. Infrared window material: Cadmium telluride has good infrared transmission performance, so it can be used as an infrared window material for infrared detectors and optical systems.