Research In Photovoltaics2

The anatomy of photovoltaic cells are silicon (Si) usually doped with P-type and N-type materials such as phosphorus (P) or arsenic (As) Boron (B) and Gallium (Ga) as stated in solarwiki an shown in fig 1:5, titanium oxide is often used as the negative contact. The cell is surrounded by an anti-reflective coating to increase the amount of photons coming in contact with the electrical connections/negative contact/ titanium dioxide. This is then surrounded by a glass the prevent water damage to the cell.

Dye Sensitised Solar Cells (DSSCs) are photovoltaics which are made from a layer of titanium dioxide with a thin smooth coating of organic dye. “DSSCs were invented by Michael Graetzel in 1991”. Modern DSSCs are cheap and simple to make and have a “power efficiency of around 11%”

However DSSCs currently are not suitable for long periods of outdoor use due to degrading when they are exposed to ultraviolet radiation.