Thin-Film Photovoltaic Technology

Catalog description

This course will focus in on a promising class of solar cells based on thin-film absorbers, some of which are already commercialized (e.g., CdTe, CIGS), while others are on the cutting edge of new photovoltaics technology (e.g., perovskites). The course will employ a combination of lecture, directed reading and hands-on approaches. The hands-on component of the course will involve fabricating PV devices and employing contemporary characterization and modeling tools to evaluate device performance. Specific techniques and the intellectual framework are more generally applicable to other PV and electronic devices. Recommended prerequisite: ECE 230 or related familiarity with electronic properties of materials. Open to graduate students; instructor consent required for undergraduate students to enroll.