Regensburg 2004 – scientific programme

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HL: Halbleiterphysik

HL 19: Symposium 50 Jahre Solarzelle

HL 19.1: Talk

Tuesday, March 9, 2004, 15:15–15:45, H15

Slow Solar Ascent — •H. J. Queisser — Max-Planck-Institute for Solid State Research, D-70506 Stuttgart

Limited attention arose from the miniscule note by Chapin, Fuller, and Pearson on a new solar cell, as received on January 11, 1954 by the Journal of Applied Physics. Pentagon engineers sneered at this feeble power source; trials failed for rural telephony. The initial theory for solar cells relied on mere extensions for the forward current – voltage relations of p – n junctions. Later work simply attempted reductions of all loss mechanisms. The Sputnik shock suddenly rekindled active research. The optimal semiconductor was to be found. A thermodynamic theory was proposed on the basis of detailed balance and a restriction to radiative recombination. Silicon proved to be close to maximal efficiency.