Solar Cell Structure

As you know already the  term  photovoltaic  means  the  direct  conversion  of light  into  electrical  energy using  solar  cells.  Semiconductor  materials  such  as  silicon, gallium  arsenide, cadmium telluride  or  copper  indium  diselenide  are  used  in  these  solar cells. A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a wide area electronic device that converts solar energy into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells as solar energy. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell is used when the source is unspecified. Assemblies of cells are used to make solar modules, or photovoltaic arrays. Solar cells have many applications. Cells are used for powering small devices such as electronic calculators. Photovoltaic arrays generate a form of renewable electricity, particularly useful in situations where electrical power from the grid is unavailable such as in remote area power systems, earth-orbiting satellites and space probes, remote radiotelephones and water pumping applications. Photovoltaic electricity is also increasingly deployed in grid-tied electrical systems. Similar devices intended to capture energy from other sources include thermophotovoltaic cells, betavoltaics cells, and optoelectric nuclear batteries. The  layer  that  faces  the  sun’s  light  is  negatively  doped  with  phosphorus. The  layer below  is  positively  doped  with  boron. At  the  boundary  layer,  an  electrical  field  is produced  that  leads  to  the  separation  of  the  charges  (electrons  and  holes)  released  by the  sunlight.  In  order  to  be  able  to  take  power  from  the  solar  cell,  metallic  contacts need  to  be  fitted  on  the  front  and  back  of  the  cell.  Screen  printing  is  normally  used  for this  purpose.  On  the  back  of the  solar  cell  it  is  possible  to  apply  a  contact  layer  over the  whole  surface  using  aluminum  or  silver  paste.