ABSTRACT
Currently, the active materials used for the fabrication of solar cells are mainly inorganic materials – silicon (Si), gallium-arsenide (GaAs), cadmium-telluride (CdTe), and copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS). The power conversion efficiency for these solar cells varies from 8 to 30%. About 85% of the PV market is shared by mono-or multi-crystalline silicon solar cells. GaAs solar cells are reliable and highly efficient, but being expensive, are not generally used for terrestrial applications. Amorphous silicon, CdTe, and CIGS are comparatively recent thin-film technologies.
