Cadmium telluride in Thanjavur Sri Saravanas Agencies Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) is a prominent thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technology used in solar cells. Cadmium telluride is a stable crystalline compound formed from cadmium (Cd) and tellurium (Te). When used in a solar cell, it acts as the primary semiconductor material that absorbs sunlight and converts it into electricity. It's classified as a direct bandgap semiconductor, meaning it absorbs light very efficiently, requiring much thinner layers compared to indirect bandgap materials like silicon.