Battery semiconductor thin film solar cell structure

What is a thin film in a solar cell?

The thin films are also one of the basic components of solar cells , organic light emitting diodes , and photodetectors . Mazur et al. improved the efficiency of solar cells by a kind of thin film with special structures.

Is a solar cell a semiconducting material?

The light-absorbing or "active layer" of the solar cell is typically a semiconducting material, meaning that there is a gap in its energy spectrum between the valence band of localized electrons around host ions and the conduction band of higher-energy electrons which are free to move throughout the material.

How is a thin-film solar cell fabricated?

In general, a thin-film solar cell is fabricated by depositing various functional layers on a flexible substrate via techniques such as vacuum-phase deposition, solution-phase spin-coating, and printing. A flexible substrate provides mechanical support and environmental protection of the whole cell.

What are thin-film solar-cell modules?

Thin-film solar-cell modules are lightweight and flexible as compared with modules built by traditional crystalline silicon cells. Moreover, thin-film cells may be easily molded into various shapes and sizes based on the need of a specific application.

What are the advantages of thin-film solar cells?

One of the main advantages of thin-film solar cells , and Si:H in particular, is the ability to monolithically interconnect individual cells on a common substrate. This interconnection allows for a low current, high voltage output of the solar modules for a reduction of the power loss in the serial resistance.

Are thin-film solar cells a viable alternative to crystalline solar cells?

An attractive alternative for such a sustainable energy supply is the silicon thin-film solar cell technology. Because of the large differences between these and the well-understood crystalline solar cells , it is important to understand their nature and limitations on performance.