Crystalline silicon solar cells

Abstract The basic physics of solar cells and an understanding of the various parameters that influence cell performance are important. Here, continuity equations are used to evolve the process to quantify the generation of charge carriers. Important parameters like short-circuit current, open-circuit voltage, and their role in the efficiency of solar cells are discussed. So also are parameters like fill factor and efficiency of solar cells. The detailed process of how a pure crystalline silicon is fabricated is discussed and the various process steps are enumerated lucidly. The various technological processes to manufacture solar cells are described with illustrations of their experimental details. Resistance dependence studies of large area crystalline silicon solar cells, the detailed process steps, and various factors along with characterization and instrumentation are illustrated in detail. The main objective of this chapter is to innumerate and optimize solar cell fabrication so that it can work efficiently and be eco-friendly. It is also kept in mind that to maintain the low cost of the device, it should collect all the carriers and henceforth the fill factor must be collected by metallized contacts. The shunt must be optimum so that the maximum ampere-hour of charging the battery is possible in field applications.