Monday, May 23, 2011

Thin Film Solar Cells Are Made Of Layers

By Anne Harvester


The newer photovoltaic cells are the same as thin film solar cells. Capturing the energy of sunshine, layers of photovoltaic film are nanometers to micrometers in thickness. One or more layers coat the substrate one on top of the other.

Amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride and copper indium gallium selenide are examples of the types of photovoltaic materials used to collect the energy of the sun when layered on to a substrate or base. The size varies from strips small enough to be on a hand-held calculator way up to sizable modules that are built in to construction projects. Power of the sun can be collected and converted into power for heat and running electric cars.

The primary method of depositing the thin film silicon used to make solar collectors is chemical vapor deposition. It is plasma-enhanced from silane and hydrogen gasses. New techniques are also under investigation. The deposits are made on glass, plastic or metal. This substrate is coated with a layer of conducting oxide.

Commercial and residential installations are possible uses for the sun collecting panels. They can be installed on top of a roof or integrated into the building process. They do not weigh as much as the traditional panels. Yet, they are strong enough to support the weight of a man. They are wind resistant and the roof cannot be lifted up on a windy day.

They are newer, improved and more costly than the traditional panels for capturing sunlight. The industry of using the power of the sun to make heat and convert to energy for conversion to electricity is growing. One innovation is the semitransparent cell, which will be on window glass. As they are tinted to look good, they will be absorbing the sun for energy.

In 2003, only 12 megawatts of thin film solar cells were produced. It has increased since then. The increase is due to functionality and the fact that cost of manufacturing has decreased. There are numerous possible uses for solar energy collection and conversion to electricity. The amazing power of sunshine to create heat might be the single thing that will rescue us from dependency on oil.




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