Solar Cell Technologies for Non-Fossil Power Solutions

Several solar cell technologies including single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, thin film cadmium telluride and copper indium diselenide have reached the commercial production phase. Other technologies like dye-sensitized solar cells, nanocrystalline devices and organic semiconductor solar cells hold the promise of flexible, lightweight designs and adaptability to large scale production at low cost; these are in the research and development stage. All have a potential role in meeting the non- fossil power needs of human kind. Device designs, current performance levels, technical challenges and future potential of these technologies will be described and compared against each other.

Bio-summary (Vijay P. Singh)

Dr. Vijay P. Singh (M'99) received the B. Tech. degree in electrical engineering from I.I.T. Delhi in 1968 and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1970 and 1974 respectively.

He began his research career in solar cells at the Institute of energy Conversion, University of Delaware in 1974. He joined the microelectronics industry in 1976 first as a Research Engineer and later as Section Head and Manager of Materials and Device Research, for Photon Power Inc., El Paso, Texas. In 1983, he joined the faculty of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso as an Associate Professor. He was promoted to the rank of Professor in 1990 and in1993 was named Schellenger Chair and Director of the Electronic Devices Laboratory. He also served as Associate Dean for Research for the College of Engineering till 2000. In 2000, he joined University of Kentucky in Lexington where he is a Professor, Earl Parker Robinson Chair in Engineering and the Director of the Center for Nano-Scale Science and Engineering. He is the author of more than 100 journal and technical articles, patents and book chapters. His research interests are in the areas of solar cells, nanoelectronics, microelectronics, electronic devices and materials, thin-film technology and electroluminescent displays. Dr. Singh is active in several professional and technical societies including IEEE and APS and has served on the organizing committees and chaired technical sessions for a number of international conferences related to nanoelectronics, solar cells and display devices.