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February 18th, 2008
A small contribution to solar cell research
Abstract:
Several solutions, such as layering different materials to cover a broader range of wavelengths have been tried with some success. However, the best solution is probably the use of polymers (think of dyes), which have a naturally broad absorption band. In addition, the absorption band of quite a few polymers just so happens to be within the visible range, providing a better match for sunlight. Unfortunately, this swaps one problem for another. The major benefit of semiconductor-based solar cells is that they have an accelerating field that separates the holes and electrons, so that they can be used to perform useful work. Polymer based solar cells have no such field, meaning that the electrons and holes must rely on diffusion, which is much slower and allows the holes and electrons to recombine.
Source:
arstechnica.com
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