What is a Si H photovoltaic cell?

Hydrogen is required to dope the material, leading to hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). The gas phase deposition technique is typically used to form a-Si photovoltaic cells with metal or gas as the substrate material . A typical manufacturing process for a-Si:H cells is the roll-to-roll process.

What are thin film photovoltaic cells?

The thin film photovoltaic cells based on CdTe, gallium selenide, and copper (CIGS) or amorphous silicon have been designed to be a lower-cost replacement for crystalline silicon cells. They offer improved mechanical properties that are ideal for flexible applications, but this comes with the risk of reduced efficiency.

What are the different types of photovoltaic technology?

There are four main categories that are described as the generations of photovoltaic technology for the last few decades, since the invention of solar cells : First Generation: This category includes photovoltaic cell technologies based on monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon and gallium arsenide (GaAs).

What is a second generation photovoltaic cell?

Second Generation of Photovoltaic Cells The thin film photovoltaic cells based on CdTe, gallium selenide, and copper (CIGS) or amorphous silicon have been designed to be a lower-cost replacement for crystalline silicon cells.

What makes photovoltaics so popular?

The popularity of photovoltaics depends on three aspects—cost, raw material availability, and efficiency. Third-generation solar cells are the latest and most promising technology in photovoltaics. Research on these is still in progress.

How thick is a Si based photovoltaic cell?

A 300 nm thick a-Si:H layer is capable of absorbing about 90% of photons above the passband in a single pass, allowing the fabrication of lighter and more flexible solar cells . Figure 12 shows the step-by-step fabrication process of an a-Si-based photovoltaic cell.