| Description |
1 online resource |
| Contents |
Cover; Half title; Title; Copyrights; Contents; Preface to the Second Edition; List of Symbols and Abbreviations; 1 Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion; 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 Photovoltaic Effect; 1.3 Solar Energy Materials; 1.4 Electronic Devices Used for Solar Energy Conversion; 1.4.1 p-n Junctions; 1.4.2 p-i-n Junctions; 1.4.3 Hetero-junctions; 1.4.4 n-n and p-p Junctions; 1.4.5 Metal/Semiconductor (or Schottky) Contacts; 1.4.6 Metal/Insulator/Semiconductor Interfaces; 1.5 Characteristics of a Solar Cell; 1.5.1 I-V Characteristics of a Solar Cell Under Dark Conditions |
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1.5.2 I-V Characteristics of a Solar Cell Under Illuminated Conditions1.5.3 How to Maximise Voc; 1.5.4 How to Maximise Jsc; 1.5.5 How to Maximise FF; 1.6 Summary; Exercises; 2 Status Report on Solar Energy Technologies; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Si Solar Cell Technology; 2.3 PV Manufacturing Cost Based on Si Technology; 2.4 PV Technology Based on III-V Compounds; 2.5 Disruptive Technology for PV Development; 2.6 Emerging Low-Cost Thin-Film Technologies; 2.7 Next-Generation Solar Cells; 2.8 Summary; Exercise; 3 Electrochemical Deposition of Solar Energy Materials; 3.1 Introduction |
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3.2 Electrodeposition of Semiconductors3.3 Strengths and Advantages of Electrodeposition; 3.3.1 Simplicity, Low-Cost, Scalability, and Manufacturability; 3.3.2 Self-Purification and Built-In Hydrogen Passivation; 3.3.3 Extrinsic and Intrinsic Doping; 3.3.4 Ability in Bandgap Engineering; 3.3.5 Other Advantages of Electrodeposition; 3.4 Experimental Evidence; 3.4.1 Observations in XRD; 3.4.2 Observations in XRF; 3.4.3 Observations in PEC Cell Measurements; 3.4.4 Observations in Optical Absorption Measurements; 3.4.5 Observations in Photoluminescence; 3.4.6 Impurity Control in Semiconductors |
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3.5 Issues in Electrodeposition of Semiconductors3.6 Summary of Electroplated Materials to Date; 3.7 Applications in PV Devices; 3.8 Summary; Exercises; 4 Background of the CdTe Solar Cell and the New Device Concept; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 The Previous Model for a Glass/Conducting Glass/CdS/CdTe/Metal Solar Cell; 4.3 Key Observations That Led to the Formulation of a New Model; 4.3.1 Surface Modification of CdTe; 4.3.2 Effects of Surface Modification on Defect Levels; 4.3.3 Effects of Defect Levels on Electronic Devices; 4.3.4 Similar Observations on Thin-Film CdS/CdTe Solar Cells |
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4.4 New Concept for CdS/CdTe Solar Cell4.5 Description of Experimental Results Using the Two Models; 4.5.1 Current-Voltage (I-V) Characteristics; 4.5.2 Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) Characteristics; 4.5.3 Electron Beam-Induced Current Measurements; 4.5.4 Observation of Discrete Barrier Heights and Voc Values; 4.5.5 A Thin-Film CdTe Solar Cell Device Without a CdS Layer; 4.5.6 Results from Electrical ContactingWork; 4.5.7 Doping of CdS and CdTe Layers; 4.5.8 Further Experimental Evidence to Confirm the True Structure of the Device |
| Summary |
Solar energy conversion plays a very important role in the rapid introduction of renewable energy, which is essential to meet future energy demands without further polluting the environment, but current solar panels based on silicon are expensive due to the cost of raw materials and high energy consumption during production. The way forward is to move towards thin-film solar cells using alternative materials and low-cost manufacturing methods. The photovoltaic community is actively researching thin-film solar cells based on amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), and dye-sensitised and organic materials. However, progress has been slow due to a lack of proper understanding of the physics behind these devices. This book concentrates on the latest developments and attempts to improve our understanding of solid-state device physics. The material presented is mainly experimental and based on CdTe thin-film solar cells. The author extends these new findings to CIGS thin-film solar cells and presents a new device design based on graded bandgap multi-layer solar cells. This design has been experimentally tested using the well-researched GaAs/AlGaAs system, and initial devices have shown impressive device parameters. These devices are capable of absorbing all radiation (UV, visible and infra-red) within the solar spectrum and combine "impact ionisation" and "impurity photovoltaic" effects. The improved device understanding presented in this book should impact and guide future photovoltaic device development and low-cost thin-film solar panel manufacture. This new edition features an additional chapter besides exercises and their solutions, which will be useful for academics teaching in this field |
| Notes |
Previous edition: 2013 |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
I.M. Dharmadasa is professor of applied physics and leads the Electronic Materials and Sensors Group at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. He has worked in semiconductor research since becoming a PhD student at Durham University as a Commonwealth Scholar in 1977, under the supervision of the late Sir Gareth Roberts. His interest in the electrodeposition of thin-film solar cells grew when he joined the Apollo Project at BP Solar in 1988. He has continued this area of research on joining Sheffield Hallam University in 1990 |
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Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on May 03, 2019) |
| Subject |
Solar cells.
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Thin films.
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solar cells.
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SCIENCE -- Physics.
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TECHNOLOGY -- Environmental Engineering & Technology.
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TECHNOLOGY -- Material Science.
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Solar cells
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Thin films
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| ISBN |
9780429020841 |
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0429020848 |
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9780429668395 |
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0429668392 |
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9780429668371 |
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0429668376 |
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9780429668388 |
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0429668384 |
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