ECE Course Outline



ECE6456 -  Solar Cells  (3-0-3)
 
Prerequisites:  None
Corequisites:  None
 
Catalog Description:  To provide a practical understanding of semiconductor materials and technology as it relates to design and development of efficient solar cells and photovoltaic systems.
 
Textbook(s): 
Green, Solar Cells: Operating Principles, Technology and Systems Applications, Bridge printery Pty. Ltd., 1992. (required) (comment: available through UNSW (http://www.pv.unsw.edu.au/buybook.html))

Topical Outline: 

Solar Cells & Sunlight
      The photovoltaic vision
      Physical source of sunlight, solar constant & insolation data
      Direct & diffuce radiation
Review of Seminconductor Properties
      Dynamics of electrons and holes
      Generation & Recombination processes semiconductors
      Interaction of sunlight with semiconductors
      Reflectance & absorption of light
Junction and Operating Principles of Solar Cells
      Homo & hetero-junctions
      Dark & illuminated characteristics of solar cells
      Internal quantum efficiency of solar cell
      Equivalent circuit of solar cels
      Solar cell output parameters
Efficiency Limits & Losses in Solar Cells
      Efficiency limits for black-body cells
      Short-circuit current losses
      Open-circuit voltage losses
      Fill factor losses
      Effect of temerature on cell performance
      Practically achievable efficiency limit
Silicon Solar Cell & Module Fabrication
      Promising photovoltaic silicon materials
      Baseline silicon solar cell fabrication
      Processing of advanced silicon solar cells
      Photovoltaic module construction
Design of High Efficiency silicon Solar Cells
      Surface recombination velocity & spectral response considerations
      heavy doping effects, junction depth, & emitter dopint profile 
         considerations
      Substrate doping, thickness & diffusion length considerations
      Grid design
      Back surface field design
      Antirefleciton coating design
      Textured surfaces for light trapping
Heterojunction, Thin-Film & Other Promising Solar Cells
      Gallium arsenide solar cells
      Amorphous ilicon thin-film solar cells
      Polycrystalilne thin-film CdTe and CuInSe2 cells
      Multijunciton solar cells
      Concentrator cells
Photovoltaic Systems & Applications
      Stand along PV Systems
      Utility-interactive PV systems
      Modeling & design of PV systems
      PV in bulidngs
      cost analysis & future of PV systems