Overview

"Photovoltaic technology has now developed to the extent that it is close to fulfilling the vision of a ""solar-energy world,"" as devices based on this technology are becoming efficient, low-cost and durable. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of thin-film silicon, a prevalent PV material, in terms of its semiconductor nature, starting out with the physical properties, but concentrating on device applications. A special emphasis is given to amorphous silicon and microcrystalline silicon as photovoltaic materials, along with a model that allows these systems to be physically described in the simplest manner possible, thus allowing the student or scientist/engineer entering the field of thin-film electronics to master a few basic concepts that are distinct from those in the field of conventional semiconductors. The main part of the book deals with solar cells and modules by illustrating the basic functioning of these devices, along with their limitations, design optimization, testing and fabrication methods. Among the manufacturing processes discussed are plasma-assisted and hot-wire deposition, sputtering, and structuring techniques."

Full Product Details

Author:   Arvind Victor Shah (Institute of Microtechnology, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland) ,  Arvind Victor Shah
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Inc
Imprint:   CRC Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 3.20cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   1.021kg
ISBN:  

9781420066746

ISBN 10:   1420066749
Pages:   440
Publication Date:   15 April 2021
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

"Introduction; Christophe Ballif Explaining the role of thin-film silicon within PV today and tomorrow Basic Properties of amorphous silicon (a-Si); Arvind Shah and Wolfhard Beyer Structure of amorphous silicon ""Free"" and ""trapped"" carriers (electrons and holes), mobility gap Gap states Optical absorption; optical gap and sub-bandgap absorption Transport, conductivity and recombination Doping of amorphous silicon layers Hydrogen in amorphous silicon layers; Wolfhard Beyer Alloys (with Germanium and Carbon); Wolfhard Beyer Conclusions Basic properties of hydrogenated µc-Si:H; Friedhelm Finger History Structural properties of µc-Si:H Optical properties Electrical properties and transport Metastabilty -- Instabilty Comparison with amorphous silicon Alloys (ongoing research work) Conclusions Theory of solar cell devices; Arvind Shah, Corinne Droz and Martin Python Conversion of light into electrical carriers by a semi-conductor diode The ""pn-type"" or ""classical"" diode: Dark characteristics The ""pn-type"" or ""classical"" diode: Properties under illumination Limits on solar cell efficiency η The ""pin-type"" diode Summary and conclusions of theoretical part Tandem and multi-junction solar cells; Martin Python and Arvind Shah Introduction; general concept Principle of two-terminal tandem cell Practical problems of two-terminal tandem cells Typical tandem and multi-junction cells Spectral response (SR) and External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) measurements Conclusions Module Fabrication and Performance; Horst Schade and Jean-Eric Bourée Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) Hot Wire chemical vapour deposition (HWCVD) Doped layers Transparent conductive oxides (TCO) as contact layers Laser scribing and series connection of cells Module performance Module finishing Conclusions Application Examples of Solar Cells; Various contributors, edited by Horst Schade and Arvind Shah Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) - aspects and examples Stand-alone and portable applications (Oppizzi) Indoor applications of a-Si solar cells; J. Randall Space Applications; N. Wyrsch Conclusions Large-area thin-film Electronics; Nicolas Wyrsch Thin-film transistors (TFTs) and Display Technology Large-area imagers Thin-film sensors on C-MOS Chips (Light imagers, Particle sensors, particle imagers) Conclusions"

Reviews

Author Information

Arvind V. Shah studied in Bombay, London and Zürich, receiving his Ph.D. in Applied Physics in 1968 from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH). He worked at the ETH until founding the Centre for Electronics Design and Technology (CEDT) at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, in 1975. In March 1979, he was appointed professor of electronics at the University of Neuchâtel, and in 1988 began a concurrent, part-time appointment at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). He is founder of Thin-film and Photovoltaics Laboratory at IMT Neuchâtel where he was involved with the invention of VHF plasma deposition and the pioneering work with microcrystalline silicon and “micromorph” tandem solar cells. Since 2000, he has been involved in the successful industrial transfer of technology, negotiating major licensing agreements both to start-up and established companies.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions