Solar cell: fundamental performance limitations

Solar cells are made from semiconductor material that have unique properties. Most of the semiconductor materials have properties potentially suitable for photovoltaic solar energy conversion. But not all types of semiconductor are suitable for solar cells. The fundamental limitations of solar cell is an obstacle for high efficiency solar cell. That is why most of the research in this field is concentrated on materia] for high efficiency solar panel. The only cells commercially available are prepared from single-crystal or large polycrystalline silicon. The first limitation in solar cells design is charge carrier generation by photon absorption. Only photons of energy equal to or greater than the band gap energy of the semiconductor can generate free electron-hole pair. The second is the current-voltage characteristic that results from the solar cell being a semiconductor device with a potential barrier.