Photovoltaic technology has now developed to the extent that it is close to fulfilling the vision of a "solar-energy world," as devices based on this technology are becoming efficient, low-cost and durable. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of thin-film silicon, a prevalent PV material, in terms of its semiconductor nature, startin

This paper is concerned with an investigation into the mechanisms underlying the operation of p-type indium-phosphide (InP)/n-type indium tin oxide (I.T.O.) solar cells. These have been fabricated by depositing thin films of I.T.O. onto InP substrates by both R. F. sputtering and ion-beam sputtering. In the former case, the data support the results of Bachmann et al., whilst in the latter they resemble those of Tsai et al. It is shown that the properties of these cells depend not only on the method of fabrication but also on several other complicating effects which occur before, during and after deposition of the I.T.O.

Optoelectronics - Advanced Device Structures (Book IV) is following the Optoelectronics (Books I, II, and III) published in 2011, 2013, and 2015, as part of the InTech collection of international works on optoelectronics. Accordingly, as with the first three books of the collection, this book covers recent achievements by specialists around the world. The growing number of countries participating in this endeavor as well as joint participation of the US and Moldova scientists in edition of this book testifies to the unifying effect of science. An interested reader will find in the book the description of properties and applications employing organic and inorganic materials, as well as the methods of fabrication and analysis of operation and regions of application of modern optoelectronic devices.

The world of today must face up to two contradictory energy problems: on the one hand, there is the sharply growing consumer demand in countries such as China and India. On the other hand, natural resources are dwindling. Moreover, many of those countries which still possess substantial gas and oil supplies are politically unstable. As a result, renewable natural energy sources have received great attention. Among these, solar-cell technology is one of the most promising candidates. However, there still remains the problem of the manufacturing costs of such cells. Many attempts have been made to reduce the production costs of “conventional” solar cells (manufactured from monocrystalline silicon using diffusion methods) by instead using cheaper grades of silicon, and simpler pn-junction fabrication. That is the ‘hero’ of this book; the heterojunction solar cell.

Gallium Oxide: Technology, Devices and Applications discusses the wide bandgap semiconductor and its promising applications in power electronics, solar blind UV detectors, and in extreme environment electronics. It also covers the fundamental science of gallium oxide, providing an in-depth look at the most relevant properties of this materials system. High quality bulk Ga2O3 is now commercially available from several sources and n-type epi structures are also coming onto the market. As researchers are focused on creating new complex structures, the book addresses the latest processing and synthesis methods. Chapters are designed to give readers a complete picture of the Ga2O3 field and the area of devices based on Ga2O3, from their theoretical simulation, to fabrication and application. Provides an overview of the advantages of the gallium oxide materials system, the advances in in bulk and epitaxial crystal growth, device design and processing Reviews the most relevant applications, including photodetectors, FETs, FINFETs, MOSFETs, sensors, catalytic applications, and more Addresses materials properties, including structural, mechanical, electrical, optical, surface and contact

(Uncorrected OCR) Abstract of thesis entitled PREPARATION AND POST-ANNEALING EFFECTS ON THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF INDIUM TIN OXIDE THIN FILMS Submitted by WANG Rong Xin for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong in April 2005 Many opto-electronic devices, such as III-V compound devices, liquid crystal displays, solar cells, organic and inorganic light emitting devices, and ultraviolet photodetectors, demand transparent electrode materials simultaneously having high electrical conductance. To meet the requirements for particular applications, a great deal of basic research and studies have been carried out on the electrical and optical properties of these materials. As a most promising candidate for such materials, indium tin oxide (ITO) has attracted interest in recent years. Furthermore, ITO has many unique properties such as excellent adhesion on the substrate, thermal stability and ease of patterning. The deposition of high-quality ITO thin films is a key step for successful application of ITO thin films as transparent electrode materials. To obtain optimal electrical and optical properties of ITO films, the growth parameters and conditions must be determined. Moreover, the optical and electrical properties of ITO contact layers, which can either be on the top side or the bottom side of a device, are influenced by various post-deposition treatments. For the present work, ITO thin films were deposited on glass and quartz substrates using e-beam evaporation with different deposition rates. The influence of substrate material, deposition rate, deposition gas environment and post-deposition annealing on the optical properties of the films was investigated in detail. Atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy was employed to obtain information on the chemical state and crystallization of the films. Analysis of these data suggests that the substrate material, deposition rate, deposition gas environment and.

Thin-film solar cells are either emerging or about to emerge from the research laboratory to become commercially available devices finding practical various applications. Currently no textbook outlining the basic theoretical background, methods of fabrication and applications currently exist. Thus, this book aims to present for the first time an in-depth overview of this topic covering a broad range of thin-film solar cell technologies including both organic and inorganic materials, presented in a systematic fashion, by the scientific leaders in the respective domains. It covers a broad range of related topics, from physical principles to design, fabrication, characterization, and applications of novel photovoltaic devices.