Materials Concepts for Solar Cells

This textbook bridges the gap between basic literature on the physics of solar cells and highly specialized books about photovoltaic solar energy conversion. It is intended to give students with a background in engineering, materials science, chemistry or physics a comprehensive introduction to materials concepts for solar cells. To this end, general principles of solar cells and materials demands are explained in the first part of this book. The second part is devoted to the four classes of materials concepts for solar cells: solar cells based on crystals of silicon, epitaxial layer systems of III-V semiconductors, thin-film absorbers on foreign substrates, and nano-composite absorbers.

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Contents:Basics of Solar Cells and Materials Demands:Basic Characteristics and Characterization of Solar CellsPhotocurrent Generation and the Origin of PhotovoltageInfluence of Recombination on the Minimum LifetimeCharge Separation Across p-n JunctionsOhmic Contacts for Solar CellsMaximum Energy Conversion Efficiency of Solar CellsMaterials Specific Concepts:Solar Cells Based on Crystalline SiliconSolar Cells Based on III-V SemiconductorsThin-Film Solar CellsNano-Composite Solar CellsAppendix A: Solutions to Tasks
Readership: Advanced undergraduates and graduate students in photovoltaics.
Key Features:Several case studies on insurgency included in this bookDiscusses the prevention of and responses to acts of terrorism and insurgency