Photovoltaic cells (1 Viewer)

[Old Spice Man]

Hey All.

I struggle to handle how photovoltaic cells operate, could somebody be so kind as to provide me with a step by step guide of the conversion of light into electrical current. Going into detail on interactions between the p and n type semiconductors.

Cheers.

 

[clementc]

Bump. Also do not get at all LOL. Very confused, all the textbooks are really vague and waffley when it comes to this. Something about exciting the electron to come out

 

[khorne]

Ok. So you got the PN junction right? Inbetween the PN junction, there is a zone, where electrons migrate to the P side, leaving holes which stay on the N side. This is just a tiny band between then, not the whole semiconductor. When a photon then hits an electron on the N side, it can't go towards the P side, because between it and the P side, there are electrons which repel it (basically getting up an electric field), so it must instead go around the circuit and come back to the P side from the external circuit.

 

[clementc]

Wow thank you very much lmao. That actually made sense LOL. the textbook just bombards you with too many words about liberation and potential difference and crazy stuff =)