How a Photovoltic Cell Works

By Mary Bellis, About.com Guide

In a PV cell, photons are absorbed in the p layer. It's very important to "tune" this layer to the properties of the incoming photons to absorb as many as possible and thereby free as many electrons as possible. Another challenge is to keep the electrons from meeting up with holes and "recombining" with them before they can escape the cell.

To do this, we design the material so that the electrons are freed as close to the junction as possible, so that the electric field can help send them through the "conduction" layer (the n layer) and out into the electric circuit. By maximizing all these characteristics, we improve the conversion efficiency* of the PV cell.

To make an efficient solar cell, we try to maximize absorption, minimize reflection and recombination, and thereby maximize conduction.

Continue > Making N and P Material

Previous

• How a Photovoltic Cell Works
• P-Types, N-Types, and the Electric Field
• Absorption and Conduction
• Making N and P Material for a Photovoltic Cell
• An Atomic Description of Silicon - The Silicon Molecule
• Phosphorous as a Semiconductor Material
• Boron as a Semiconductor Material
• Other Semiconductor Materials
• Conversion Efficiency of a PV Cell

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