Photovoltaic Technologies

This course will focus on several solar-cell technologies: silicon solar cells based on (multi)-crystalline wafers, thin-film solar cells based on thin silicon films, cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper-indium-(gallium)-(di)selenide (CIS to CIGS), III-V solar cells and concentrators, and organic and perovskite solar cells. For these various technologies the device concepts, the specific properties of the materials required, and the manufacturing and processing methods will be discussed.

Before these technologies will be discussed, an in-depth treatment of semiconductor device physics for solar cells and light-management concepts will be given that are applicable to all technologies. Issues included are recombination at interfaces, passivation, heterojunctions, various principles of light-scattering, anti-reflection coatings, and textured interfaces.