Semiconductor Used In Solar Panels

Among the most efficient and by far the most common semiconductor used is silicon which is found in approximately 90 of modules sold.

Semiconductor used in solar panels.

As was seen already solar cells are made of semiconductor materials usually silicon and are specially treated to form an electric field with positive on one side backside and negative on the other side facing the sun. Silicon has along with the diamond forming carbon the unique property that it has four electrons in its outer shell. Marko sokolich had definitely provided some examples including the most widely used material in commercial solar panel silicon. The p type silicon is produced by adding atoms such as boron or gallium that have one less electron in their outer energy level than does silicon.

In the early 1990s the technology used for space solar cells diverged from the silicon technology used for terrestrial panels with the spacecraft application shifting to gallium arsenide based iii v semiconductor materials which then evolved into the modern iii v multijunction photovoltaic cellused on spacecraft. A solar cell is made of two types of semiconductors called p type and n type silicon. It was first used in solar cells in 1956 and is considered a key material in solar energy production. Because boron has one less electron than is required to form the bonds with the surrounding silicon atoms an electron vacancy or hole is created.

One of the main reasons that they are not deployed in commercial solar panel is because of the cost as mentioned in marko s answer way too expensive. In fact iii v semiconductors such as gaas gap inas and etc. Semiconductor solar cell one of the most used semiconductors to convert sun energy is the silicon material. In the earliest successful solar panels silicon was the semiconductor material that was used and no surprise it is still a commonly used material for solar panels today.

On an atomic level silicon has four valence electrons and has the ability to form four covalent bonds. You encounter it in your computer the television your radio but also as the main ingredient of photovoltaic modules. A photovoltaic pv generator is mainly an assembly of solar cells connections protective parts and supports. Since the 1960s tin dioxide has found use in industrial applications including gas sensors and transparent electrodes for.

Are candidates for solar cell application as well. The main semiconductor used in solar cells not to mention most electronics is silicon an abundant element. In fact it s found in sand so it s inexpensive but it needs to be refined in a chemical process before it can be turned into crystalline siliconand conduct electricity.