Microfabrication technique doubles solar-cell efficiency
DEC 17, 2014
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028506
MIT Technology Review : The technology behind manufacturing solar cells is similar to that behind making microprocessors. French company Soitec has exploited its expertise in microfabrication to develop a solar cell that adds four semiconductors in two layers. Each semiconductor absorbs energy from different parts of the light spectrum; together they convert sunlight to energy at a more efficient rate than one wide-spectrum semiconductor, which is more typical in other designs. Although the cell’s solar efficiency is now at 46%, the process is currently expensive compared with the price of making competing products.
© 2014 American Institute of Physics
