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The future of crystalline silicon solar cells
Author(s) -
Green Martin A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-159x(200001/02)8:1<127::aid-pip311>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - silicon , polycrystalline silicon , wafer , crystalline silicon , engineering physics , tandem , materials science , photovoltaic system , monocrystalline silicon , solar cell , nanocrystalline silicon , nanotechnology , computer science , optoelectronics , amorphous silicon , electrical engineering , engineering , composite material , thin film transistor , layer (electronics)
If the best indicator of the future is the past, there may be limited changes in photovoltaic manufacturing over the coming 20 years apart from higher production volumes, lower costs and shifts to thinner silicon wafers and higher efficiency cell processing sequences. If the above premise is rejected, the future becomes more exciting, with silicon substrates possibly being used for high‐efficiency, low‐cost tandem cell designs and polycrystalline silicon thin films emerging to fill the void left by apparent deficiencies in the long‐term with existing thin‐film alternatives. This paper gives a personal view of issues relevant to crystalline silicon solar cells over the 2000–2020 timeframe, with some speculation for the period to 2050. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.