ABSTRACT

After four decades of more or less intense development the CdTe thin film solar cell is now becoming a benchmark in photovoltaics. Modules based on Cadmium Telluride are manufactured on an industrial scale and new ventures are popping up. The father of this technology is Dieter Bonnet. Already in the 1970s, he made the first cell of the configuration still used today. He contributed to the fully automated module factory built in Arnstadt in 2000. The award of Becquerel Prize can be considered a compensation for the many set backs and the refusal to fund the development even at a time when the potential was clearly visible.