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SOLAR

The document explains the functioning of photovoltaic (PV) cells, particularly solar cells, which convert light into electrical energy through the movement of electrons in semiconductor materials like silicon. It details the structure of solar cells, including p-type and n-type silicon, and describes various types of solar technologies such as thin-film photovoltaics, perovskite photovoltaics, organic photovoltaics, and quantum dot solar cells. Each type has unique properties and efficiencies, with silicon being the most common material used in solar cells today.

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5 views1 page

SOLAR

The document explains the functioning of photovoltaic (PV) cells, particularly solar cells, which convert light into electrical energy through the movement of electrons in semiconductor materials like silicon. It details the structure of solar cells, including p-type and n-type silicon, and describes various types of solar technologies such as thin-film photovoltaics, perovskite photovoltaics, organic photovoltaics, and quantum dot solar cells. Each type has unique properties and efficiencies, with silicon being the most common material used in solar cells today.

Uploaded by

amit1832006
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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charged holes (which are vacancies due to the lack of valence electrons).

Near the junction of the


Solar Cell two layers, the electrons on one side of the junction (n-type layer) move into the holes on the other
When light shines on a photovoltaic (PV) cell – also called a solar cell – that light may be reflected, side of the junction (p-type layer). This creates an area around the junction, called the depletion
absorbed, or pass right through the cell. The PV cell is composed of semiconductor material; the zone, in which the electrons fill the holes (Fig. 1, closeup).
“semi” means that it can conduct electricity better than an insulator but not as well as a good When all the holes are filled with electrons in the depletion zone, the p-type side of the depletion
conductor like a metal. zone (where holes were initially present) now contains negatively charged ions, and the n-type side
When the semiconductor is exposed to light, it absorbs the light’s energy and transfers it to of the depletion zone (where electrons were present) now contains positively charged ions. The
negatively charged particles in the material called electrons. This extra energy allows the electrons to presence of these oppositely charged ions creates an internal electric field that prevents electrons in
flow through the material as an electrical current. This current is extracted through conductive metal the n-type layer to fill holes in the p-type layer.
contacts – the grid-like lines on a solar cells. When sunlight strikes a solar cell, electrons in the silicon are ejected, which results in the formation
The efficiency of a PV cell is simply the amount of electrical power coming out of the cell compared of “holes”—the vacancies left behind by the escaping electrons. If this happens in the electric field,
to the energy from the light shining on it, which indicates how effective the cell is at converting the field will move electrons to the n-type layer and holes to the p-type layer. If you connect the n-
type and p-type layers with a metallic wire, the electrons will travel from the n-type layer to the p-
energy from one form to the other.
type layer by crossing the depletion zone and then go through the external wire back of the n-type
layer, creating a flow of electricity.

Silicon

Silicon is, by far, the most common semiconductor material used in solar cells, representing
approximately 95% of the modules sold today. It is also the second most abundant material on Earth
(after oxygen) and the most common semiconductor used in computer chips.

A solar cell is made of two types of semiconductors, called p-type and n-type silicon. The p-type
silicon is produced by adding atoms—such as boron or gallium—that have one less electron in their
outer energy level than does silicon. Because boron has one less electron than is required to form
the bonds with the surrounding silicon atoms, an electron vacancy or “hole” is created. Thin-Film Photovoltaics

The n-type silicon is made by including atoms that have one more electron in their outer level than A thin-film solar cell is made by depositing one or more thin layers of PV material on a supporting
does silicon, such as phosphorus. Phosphorus has five electrons in its outer energy level, not four. It material such as glass, plastic, or metal. There are two main types of thin-film PV semiconductors on
bonds with its silicon neighbor atoms, but one electron is not involved in bonding. Instead, it is free the market today: cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). Both
to move inside the silicon structure. materials can be deposited directly onto either the front or back of the module surface.

A solar cell consists of a layer of p-type silicon placed next to a layer of n-type silicon (Fig. 1). In the n- Perovskite Photovoltaics
type layer, there is an excess of electrons, and in the p-type layer, there is an excess of positively

Perovskite solar cells are a type of thin-film cell and are named after their characteristic crystal
structure. Perovskite cells are built with layers of materials that are printed, coated, or vacuum-
deposited onto an underlying support layer, known as the substrate. They are typically easy to
assemble and can reach efficiencies similar to crystalline silicon. In the lab, perovskite solar cell
efficiencies have improved faster than any other PV material, from 3% in 2009 to over 25% in 2020.

Organic Photovoltaics

Organic PV, or OPV, cells are composed of carbon-rich (organic) compounds and can be tailored to
enhance a specific function of the PV cell, such as bandgap, transparency, or color. OPV cells are
currently only about half as efficient as crystalline silicon cells and have shorter operating lifetimes,
but could be less expensive to manufacture in high volumes.

Quantum Dots

Quantum dot solar cells conduct electricity through tiny particles of different semiconductor
materials just a few nanometers wide, called quantum dots. Quantum dots provide a new way to
process semiconductor materials, but it is difficult to create an electrical connection between them,
so they’re currently not very efficient. However, they are easy to make into solar cells. They can be
deposited onto a substrate using a spin-coat method, a spray, or roll-to-roll printers like the ones
used to print newspapers.

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