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Yes—researchers found that magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) could replace cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) in a post-growth treatment for cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells while producing laboratory cell efficiencies comparable to the CdCl₂-treated controls. The substitution can reduce cadmium-related risk in that manufacturing step; it does not make CdTe cells or finished panels cadmium-free.
What the substitution changes
CdTe is a semiconductor used in thin-film solar cells. After the CdTe layer is grown, manufacturers use a chloride treatment to help activate the material. The conventional treatment described by the researchers uses CdCl₂. They tested MgCl₂ as a replacement within the existing fabrication approach.
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The 2014 study explains that the treatment helps form the photovoltaic junction at the boundary between CdTe and cadmium sulfide (CdS), and passivates defects at grain boundaries. The proposed change is therefore a process-chemical substitution, not a change to the solar-cell material itself. Major et al., Nature, 2014.
What the laboratory results showed
Major, Treharne, Phillips, and Durose reported efficiencies around 13% for MgCl₂-treated cells, comparable to their CdCl₂-treated control cells. The figure describes their laboratory devices and should not be read as a current commercial-module benchmark. The study also reported an active-layer hole density of 9 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻³. Nature study; PubMed record.
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The authors also tested other chloride salts. In their experiments, sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), and manganese chloride (MnCl₂) introduced electrically active impurities that harmed performance. The result supports MgCl₂ in the tested process; it does not mean any inexpensive chloride salt will work.
Why the change matters for toxicity
The 2014 paper describes CdCl₂ as water-soluble and a source of toxic cadmium ions, creating worker and environmental risks during manufacturing. It describes MgCl₂ as non-toxic. Replacing CdCl₂ can therefore reduce a specific source of cadmium exposure in the activation step.
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That is a narrower claim than saying a CdTe panel is non-toxic or cadmium-free. CdTe remains the cell material, and the study does not establish that the finished product is harmless across its full lifecycle. The benefit discussed is reduced risk from one manufacturing chemical, not elimination of cadmium from the technology. Major et al., 2014.
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A 2017 follow-up tested MgCl₂ activation in its own CdTe/CdS devices and process. It reported comparable or slightly higher device parameters for MgCl₂-treated samples and less spread in efficiency values in those experiments. This is further laboratory evidence, not proof that MgCl₂ is universally superior or widely adopted at commercial scale. 2017 follow-up in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells.
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Separate analysis of chloride treatments offers a possible mechanism: effective chloride processes can improve open-circuit voltage through chlorine incorporation at grain boundaries, with associated improvements in minority-carrier lifetime and junction carrier transport. This broader explanation does not show that every chloride or treatment process produces the same effects. Nature Communications analysis.
What the reported cost comparison does—and does not—tell you
In 2014, the authors reported prices of about 30 cents per gram for CdCl₂ and less than one cent per gram for MgCl₂. These are the study’s reported material prices at that time, not current market quotations or a complete estimate of manufacturing cost. They support the authors’ claim that the substitute was less expensive by their study-era comparison, but do not establish present-day savings at factory scale. Major et al., 2014.
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What remains unproven
- Commercial-scale performance: the cited results are from laboratory cells, not a demonstrated commercial module benchmark.
- Industry adoption: the studies establish experimental results, not how widely manufacturers use MgCl₂.
- Whole-life environmental impact: reducing CdCl₂ exposure in one production step does not establish that all lifecycle risks are eliminated.
- Universal process compatibility: the results concern particular materials and fabrication procedures; they do not guarantee equal results for every CdTe process.
Conclusion
MgCl₂ is a promising substitute for CdCl₂ in the tested post-growth activation of CdTe solar cells: the 2014 laboratory comparison found similar efficiencies, and later lab work added supportive evidence under another process. Its significance is specific but meaningful—less reliance on a toxic cadmium salt during a manufacturing step, not cadmium-free solar panels.
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