Progress and Perspectives of Solar Cells: A Critical Review

Solar technology refers to technology that uses solar radiation to generate electricity or utilize thermal energy. Solar energy is environmentally friendly, renewable, noiseless, and pollution-free and does not require fuel, making it a form of renewable energy. A solar cell (SC) comprises multiple thin layers of semiconductor materials. When sunlight shines on an SC, photons excite electrons in the semiconductor materials, generating an electric current. In recent years, there have been rapid advancements in SC research, primarily focused on improving efficiency and reducing costs. This article offers a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in SC research. It summarizes the various types of SCs, including their structures, fabrication processes, and application areas. It then summarizes the bottleneck issues and solutions in the preparation of semiconductor materials for SCs, external environmental impacts, and cell stability. Finally, it discusses the opportunities and challenges of SCs. Although SC research still faces some difficulties, with continuous technological advancements, SCs will become an essential component of future clean energy.