Functional Materials for Sustainable Energy Applications

1

Silicon-based photovoltaic solar cells

N.E.B. Cowern,     Newcastle University, UK

Abstract:

An overview is given of materials and manufacturing issues throughout the supply chain of the solar silicon photovoltaic industry. The historical evolution of the industry and future projections are discussed. A brief review is then given of each step of the industry supply chain: polysilicon production, crystallisation and wafering, and the design and manufacturing of crystalline silicon solar cells. The chapter concludes with a discussion of emerging and future advances that will enable scaling of the industry to the terawatt level.

Key words

silicon photovoltaics

solar cell architectures

crystalline silicon

crystallisation

doping

1.1 Introduction ...