Dittrich T. Materials Concepts for Solar Cells

Imperial College Press, 2015. — 545 p. — ISBN: 978-1-78326-444-5.A broad understanding of materials and combinations of materials for photovoltaic solar energy conversion helps to implement renewable energy worldwide. The textbook gives a comprehensive introduction to materials concepts for solar cells including basic principles and materials specific concepts.
This textbook bridges the gap between basic literature on the physics of solar cells and highly specialized books about photovoltaic solar energy conversion. It is intended to give students with a background in engineering, materials science, chemistry or physics a comprehensive introduction to materials concepts for solar cells.
The book offers a well-balanced treatment of physical principles and materials-related concepts of solar cells, and considers both classical and new trends in this rapidly developing field. The book is perfectly structured, with a concise summary of the most important points provided for every chapter, and the description of the concepts well complemented by the tasks.
General principles of solar cells and materials demands are explained in the first part of this book. The second part is devoted to the four classes of materials concepts for solar cells: solar cells based on crystals of silicon, epitaxial layer systems of III-V semiconductors, thin-film absorbers on foreign substrates, and nano-composite absorbers.
Readership: Advanced undergraduates and graduate students in photovoltaics.