Frontiers in photovoltaic materials and devices

A growing number of semiconductor materials and devices are emerging as strong contenders for photovoltaic applications, but silicon still dominates the market. Ultrahigh-efficiency solar cells fabricated from gallium arsenide and its ternary alloys are finding immediate applications in space exploration. Various thin film technologies, such as hydrogenated amorphous silicon, copper indium diselenide, and cadmium telluride, hold promise for significant cost reduction. Some exciting possibilities exist for new materials and devices.