Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells
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Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells at Coursera Overview
Duration | 5 hours |
Start from | Start Now |
Total fee | Free |
Mode of learning | Online |
Difficulty level | Advanced |
Official Website | Explore Free Course  |
Credential | Certificate |
Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells at Coursera Highlights
- Earn a shareable certificate upon completion.
- Flexible deadlines according to your schedule.
Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells at Coursera Course details
- This course consists of a general presentation of solar cells based on silicon thin films.
- It is the third MOOC of the photovoltaic series of Ecole polytechnique on Coursera. The general aspects of the photovoltaic field are treated in "Photovoltaic Solar Energy". And the detailed description of the crystalline silicon solar cells can be found in "Physics of Silicon Solar Cells".
- After a brief presentation of solar cells operation, thin film semiconductors are described here. The general properties of disordered and crystalline semiconductors are found very different, in particular in terms of band structure and doping mechanisms. Silicon thin films, generally less than 1 µm thick, are deposited from silane plasma leading to hydrogen incorporation. The growth mechanisms are discussed, in particular the capability to prepare partially crystallized thin films which appear as a mixture of nanocrystallites embedded in an amorphous tissue.
- The consequences of the semiconductor properties on solar cells behavior are reviewed. The optical properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon are complementary. Thus the plasma process is particularly well adapted to the preparation of multijunctions, with conversion efficiencies around 13-15 %. Furthermore plasma processes allow to prepare solar cells in large area on glass or flexible substrates.
- Finally, it is shown that crystalline and amorphous silicon materials can be combine into heterojunctions solar cells with high efficiency conversion (about 25 %).
- **This course is part of a series of 3**
- Photovoltaic solar energy (https://www.coursera.org/learn/photovoltaic-solar-energy/)
- Physics of silicon solar cells (https://www.coursera.org/learn/physics-silicon-solar-cells/)
- Silicon thin film solar cells
Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells at Coursera Curriculum
Solar Cell Operation
1. Introduction. Solar Spectrum
2. Solar Spectrum (cont.)
Worked Problem - Total Irradiance
3. Solar Cell Fundamentals
Worked Problem - The I-V Characteristic
4. Multi-junctions. Conversion Efficiency Limitations
Worked Problem - Solar Cell under Concentration
5. Solar Cell Optics
Annex 1: Interference in Thin Films
Solar Spectrum
Solar Cell Operation
Test: Module Power and Illumination
Thin Film Semiconductors
1. Disordered Semiconductors
2. Band Structure. Tight Bnding Approximation
3. Doping
4. Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon (a-Si:H)
5. Nanocrystalline Silicon (nc-Si)
Annexe 1: Tight Binding Approximation
Annex 2 : sp3 hybridization
Annex 3 : Growth from Silane Plasma
Annex 4 : Growth Mechanisms of nc-Si
Disordered Semiconductors
Silicon Thin Films
Test: Thin Film Semiconductors
Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells
1. Comparison between Crystalline and Amorphous Silicon
2. a-Si:H and Related Materials Solar Cells
3. Multi-junction Solar Cells
4. Solar Modules and Applications
5. Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells and Heterojunctions
Annex1. Transparent Conducting Oxides
Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells
Multi-junction Solar Cells
Heterojunctions
Test: Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells
Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells at Coursera Admission Process
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