The most common type of solar cell today is made from thin wafers or sheets of crystalline silicon. To build a crystalline silicon solar cell, the wafers are first roughened to improve their light trapping ability. The next step is to introduce small amounts of impurities, called
n-type or p-type dopants, to create doped layers with atomic structures that have either extra or missing electrons. Next, a non-reflective coating is deposited on the surface of the solar cell to reduce the amount of sunlight reflected off the surface of the silicon. This increases the amount of light reaching the interior portion of the solar cell. Finally, metal conductors are applied to collect the electricity and feed it to the next cell, similar to hooking up batteries in series. When numerous solar cells are combined, wired together, and encased in a weatherproof housing almost like an automobile windshield, the solar panel is complete and ready to produce direct current, or DC electricity, for decades. |
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