ABSTRACT
One of the greatest challenges facing society today is the quest to
find an alternate means of energy generation, in order to elimi-
nate the use of finite feedstocks such as fossil fuels. Additionally,
the production of electricity without harmful byproducts or unde-
sirable outcomes (CO2 emission, nuclear waste, food vs. fuel, etc.)
is essential to ensure no negative effects Arising from the use of
alternate sources of energy. As it stands currently, yearly global con-
sumption has reached approximately 15 TW, and is provided by a
range of sources that are predominantly non-renewable by nature
[1]. However, the bulk of this energy arrives, indirectly, through the
absorption of light, for example the fossilization of plantmatter gives
rise to coal [1]. Direct use of sunlight to effect electrical current gen-
eration is an attractive means of energy production, as the sun pro-
vides a staggering 120,000 TW to the earth’s surface [1]. The use
of solar energy conversion to produce energy is possible through
the exploitation of the photovoltaic effect using inorganic substrates
(i.e., silicon-based solar cells), however the performance of these
cells is limited by the purity (i.e., monocrystallinity) of the materials
used, making cost a serious factor when considering the economic
viability of solar energy conversion.
