What materials are used to produce solar cells?
The most important material for solar cells production is silicon. At the time being, it is almost the only material used for solar cell mass production. Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)-GaAs is used for production of high-efficiency solar cells. It is often utilised in concentrated PV systems and space applications. Their efficiency is up to 25%, and up to 28% at concentrated solar radiation. Special types have efficiency over 30%. Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)-Thin-film material produced by deposition or by sputtering is a promising low-cost foundation for photovoltaic applications in the future. Lab solar cells’ efficiency is up to 16%, while efficiency in the commercial types is up to 8%. Copper-Indium-diSelenide (CuInSe2 or CIS)-Thin-film material has an efficiency of up to 17%. The material is promising, yet not widely used due to production-specific procedures.
