Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Solar Cells

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Current Trends of Optics and Photonics

Part of the book series: Topics in Applied Physics ((TAP,volume 129))

  • 4395 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter introduces solar cells. The depletion of fossil energy and dramatic change of weather leads to the attention of renewable energies. Solar energy is one of the important choices among them. Solar cells are one of the technologies to harvest solar energy and directly convert sunlight to electricity. The operation principles of various solar cells will be discussed in great depths. Their recent progresses are also briefly described.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

kW:

103 Watt

TW:

1012 Watt

kWh:

Kilowatt hour

B:

Boron

ν:

Frequency of light

hν:

Photon energy

E:

Energy

eV:

Electron volt

nm:

Nanometer

I:

Electric current

I0 :

Dark current

Ipc :

Photo current

exp:

Exponential

k:

Boltzmann constant

T:

Temperature

Voc :

Open-circuit voltage

ln:

Nature log

Isc :

Short-circuit current

R:

Resistor

I-V:

Current-voltage

V:

Voltage

Pm :

Maximum power

Im :

Maximum current

Vm :

Maximum voltage

FF:

Fill Factor

η:

Efficiency

Pin :

Power input

Ec:

Conduction band

S:

Ground state

S* :

Excited state

h:

Planck constant

µm:

Micrometer

I− :

Iodide ion

I3 − :

Triiodide ion

e− :

Electron

Pb:

Lead

References

  1. M. Riordan, L. Hoddeson, The origins of the pn junction. IEEE Spectr. 34, 46–51 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. D. Chapin, C. Fuller, G. Pearson, A new silicon p-n junction photocell for converting solar radiation into electrical power. J. Appl. Phys. 25, 676–677 (1954)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. G.A. Chamberlain, Organic solar cells: a review. Solar Cells 8, 47–83 (1983)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. C.W. Tang, Two-layer organic photovoltaic cell. Appl. Phys. Lett. 48, 183–185 (1986)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. J.H. Schön, Ch. Kloc, B. Batlogg, Efficient photovoltaic energy conversion in pentacene-based heterojunctions. Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 2473–2475 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. F. Gao, Y. Wang, D. Shi, J. Zhang, M. Wang, X. Jing, R. Humphry-Baker, P. Wang, S.M. Zakeeruddin, M. Grätzel, Enhance the optical absorptivity of nanocrystalline TiO2 film with high molar extinction coefficient ruthenium sensitizers for high performance dye-sensitized solar cells. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 10720–10728 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. S. Ito, S.M. Zakeeruddin, R. Humphry-Baker, P. Liska, R. Charvet, P. Comte, M.K. Nazeeruddin, P. Péchy, M. Takata, H. Miura, S. Uchida, M. Grätzel, High-efficiency organic-dye-sensitized solar cells controlled by nanocrystalline-TiO2 electrode thickness. Adv. Mater. 18, 1202–1205 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. C. Pérez León, L. Kador, B. Peng, M. Thelakkat, Characterization of the adsorption of Ru-bpy dyes on mesoporous TiO2 films with UV-Vis, Raman, and FTIR spectroscopies. J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 8723–8730 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. J.F. Endicott, H.B. Schlegel, M.J. Uddin, D.S. Seniveratne, MLCT excited states and charge delocalization in some ruthenium-ammine-polypyridyl complexes. Coord. Chem. Rev. 229, 95–106 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/diss/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/FUDISS_derivate’_000000002568/02_2.pdf?hosts=

  11. M.V. Martínez-Díaz, M. Ince, T. Torres, Phthalocyanines: colorful macroheterocyclic sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. Monatshefte für Chemie-Chemical Monthly 142, 699–707 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. D. Kuciauskas, J.E. Monat, R. Villahermosa, H.B. Gray, N.S. Lewis, J.K. McCusker, Transient absorption spectroscopy of ruthenium and osmium polypyridyl complexes adsorbed onto nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes. J. Phys. Chem. B 106, 9347–9358 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. M. Wright, A. Uddin, Organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells: a comparative review. Solar Energy Mater. Solar Cells 107, 87–111 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  14. M.A. Green, K. Emery, Y. Hishikawa, W. Warta, E.D. Dunlop, Solar cell efficiency tables (version 42). Progress in Photovoltaics 21, 827–837 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. I. Chung, B. Lee, J. He, R.P.H. Chang, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, All-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells with high efficiency. Nature 485, 486–490 (2012)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. G.E. Eperon, V.M. Burlakov, P. Docampo, A. Goriely, H.J. Snaith, Morphological control for high performance, solution-processed planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells. Adv. Funct. Mater. 24, 151–157 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. H. Zhou, Q. Chen, G. Li, S. Luo, T.-B. Song, H.-S. Duan, Z. Hong, J. You, Y. Liu, Y. Yang, Interface engineering of highly efficient perovskite solar cells. Science 345, 542–546 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  18. M. Liu, M.B. Johnston, H.J. Snaith, Efficient planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells by vapour deposition. Nature 501, 395–398 (2013)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Innovative Photonics Advanced Research Center, Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taiwan, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan

    Ching-Fuh Lin

Authors
  1. Ching-Fuh Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ching-Fuh Lin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Thin Film Technology Center/Dept of Optics and Photonics, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan

    Cheng-Chung Lee

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lin, CF. (2015). Solar Cells. In: Lee, CC. (eds) The Current Trends of Optics and Photonics. Topics in Applied Physics, vol 129. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9392-6_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9392-6_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-017-9391-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-9392-6

  • eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation