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Technology of Solar Cells

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Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Solar Cells: Modeling, Materials and Device Technology

Part of the book series: Electronic Materials: Science & Technology ((EMST,volume 5))

Abstract

The operation principle of a solar cell is based on a sufficiently long lifetime of photoexcited electrons and holes such that they can become spatially separated and thus contribute to the net current. A “classical” solar cell consists of a p-type and an n-type domain formed within the same material, thus creating a p-n junction. Geminate recombination (i.e. recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes associated with each other by one photon absorption event) is prevented in such a cell by the internal field existing at the p-n junction. After separation, carrier recombination may still take place. In fact, non-geminate recombination is the most important loss mechanism in a solar cell.

We chose to examine discharge-produced a-Si as a potential solar cell material because of its unusual electrical and optical properties. —D.E. Carlson and C.R. Wronski, 1976

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Utrecht University, Debye Institute, Netherlands

    Ruud E. I. Schropp

  2. Delft University of Technology, Netherlands

    Miro Zeman

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  1. Ruud E. I. Schropp
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Schropp, R.E.I., Zeman, M. (1998). Technology of Solar Cells. In: Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Solar Cells: Modeling, Materials and Device Technology. Electronic Materials: Science & Technology, vol 5. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5631-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5631-2_4

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