Is it possible to make a solar cell utilizing a p-n junction at home?
I’m not sure if you’re in college, but some Universities have small semiconductor labs. If you’re not in the class or doing research, you might somehow convince them to fab a 1″ or 2″ wafer for you. It is possible to make a very weak silicon solar cell if you have a kiln. It will be weaker than a cuprous oxide cell, and actually will be more of a Schottky diode than true p-Si/n-Si. You will need to obtain the silicon wafer from somewhere. If you look here http://www.fatmanandcircuitgirl.com/ these guys may or may not have some helpful advice. I had the privilege of meeting circuitgirl in person, and she was discussing homemade transistors. If this is a high-school project, it would be quite ambitious.
