ABSTRACT
This chapter covers some of the fabrication processes associated with current cells along with discussions of the operation of a variety of cells, some of which are commonly in use, some of which have gone by the wayside, and others of which are still in the experimental phases. In general, cell fabrication begins with the refining and purification of the cell base materials. Availability of cell component materials is also of interest if many gigawatts of photovoltaic (PV) power are to be obtained from any technology. Discussion of each technology includes commentary on the availability and refining of the cell component materials. After affixing the contacts to the material, an antireflective coating may be applied to the cell, normally by evaporation, since the coating must be so thin. The question arises whether a means can be conceived for growing single-crystal wafers or perhaps a compromise can be achieved by manufacturing wafers that approximate single-crystal material.
