Nanopillars significantly boost the power conversion efficiency of thin-film solar cells
Monday, May 30, 2011 - 08:30
in Physics & Chemistry
One of the major challenges in the world today is the energy crisis. The high demand and low supply of fossil fuel are driving up oil and food prices. Silicon-based solar cells are one of the most promising technologies for generating clean and renewable energy. Using these devices to convert just a fraction of the sunlight that hits the earth each day into electricity could drastically cut societys dependence on fossil fuels. Unfortunately, however, high-grade silicon crystals demand great care during the manufacturing process, making the resulting high production cost one of the main obstacles in the road to commercialization.