Advances in Solar Cells Technology: Materials and Device Architectures
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2025 | Viewed by 1139
Special Issue Editor
Interests: materials chemistry; electronic materials; organic light-emitting devices; organic solar cells; perovskite solar cells
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Solar cell technologies have gained extensive attraction owing to their potential to meet the global energy demand in a sustainable manner. A great deal of research efforts have been employed to enhance the efficiency of conventional and recently developed photovoltaic (PV) materials while hunting for candidates to increase the solar conversion efficiency. Additionally, device architecture also plays a crucial role in realizing the high power conversion efficiency of solar cells. Technological development in recent research can be classified according to different generations of solar cells. Among other things, the first two-generation solar cell covers the relationship between generation and the current market. Moderate market yields are achieved by medium- and low-cost technologies for first-generation cells (mono or polycrystalline silicon cells). Thin-film technologies, or second-generation, cells are based on more effective but less expensive manufacturing techniques. Third-generation cells showcase numerous innovative designs and new materials that all utilize the priciest yet most effective solar cells. Fourth-generation cells include hybrid materials that are currently being investigated. These materials include more stable, novel inorganic nano-structures like metal oxides and nanomaterials, as well as flexible, economical polymer films. It is indispensable to explore the different aspects of solar cell technology regarding materials, efficiency, and fabrication costs. In fourth-generation solar cells, special attention is being given to the different roles of organic and hybrid components. Furthermore, the stability of fourth-generation solar devices is also a major point of attention. Therefore, recent research has revealed that besides efficient materials, innovative device configuration is important for the practical application of solar cells. Meanwhile, advanced characterization instruments capable of investigating material properties are also being developed, enabling researchers to fundamentally understand several aspects of material properties. This has given scientists a variety of techniques to simultaneously engineer a material’s structural, morphological, electrical, chemical, and optical properties in order to enhance the device’s performance.
Dr. Amjad Islam
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- solar cells
- materials
- device structure
- generation
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