Silicon Solar Cells, Thin-film

Abstract

Terrestrial photovoltaics, in which electricity is generated directly from sunlight, is one of the technologies in renewable energy which is actively pursued. There are several approaches that have been developed and are now in mass production with currently the ones based on crystalline silicon wafers being dominant. However, the ones based on thin films have a high potential for significantly lower cost below that of these well-established technologies. 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. It is also essential to understand the advantages that they offer for lowering the cost in mass production of solar