Solar Cells : Silicon Wafer-Based Technologies

Abstract

The third book of four-volume edition of 'Solar Cells' is devoted to solar cells based on silicon wafers, i.e., the main material used in today's photovoltaics. The volume includes the chapters that present new results of research aimed to improve efficiency, to reduce consumption of materials and to lower cost of wafer-based silicon solar cells as well as new methods of research and testing of the devices. Light trapping design in c-Si and mc-Si solar cells, solar-energy conversion as a function of the geometric-concentration factor, design criteria for spacecraft solar arrays are considered in several chapters. A system for the micrometric characterization of solar cells, for identifying the electrical parameters of PV solar generators, a new model for extracting the physical parameters of solar cells, LBIC method for characterization of solar cells, non-idealities in the I-V characteristic of the PV generators are discussed in other chapters of the volume.