New Types of Solid State Solar Cells - Alternatives for Silicon Photovoltaic Cells

Abstract

The paper is a synthesis of the research reported by the scientific community in the field of new materials used in solid-state solar cells. Several chemical compounds seem to attract attention: CdS, CdTe, CuInS2, CuInGaSe2, GaInNAs, and TiO2. All these materials present advantages (chemical stability, wide absorption range, high photosensitivity, etc.) and disadvantages (high reflection, intrinsic defects, economically expensive, etc.), but the balance of the properties can decide which is the most suitable for the market. For any type of PV cells, the design for in-field applications must consider the specific characteristics of the implementation site, corroborated with the PV material's properties.