Semiconductor Materials for Solar Cells

In most of today solar cells the absorption of photons, which results in the generation of the charge carriers, and the subsequent separation of the photo-generated charge carriers take place in semiconductor materials. Therefore, the semiconductor layers are the most important parts of a solar cell; they form the hart of the solar cell. There are a number of different semiconductor materials that are suitable for the conversion of energy of photons into electrical energy, each having advantages and drawbacks. In this chapter the most important semiconductor properties that determine the solar cell performance will be discussed.