Fundamentals & processes for photovoltaic devices
MICRO-565
Media
MICRO-565 Fundamentals & processes for photovoltaic devices
2024_Lecture14
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture12_2
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture12_1
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture11
14.06.2024, 10:49
2024_Lecture9
14.06.2024, 10:49
2024_Lecture8
14.06.2024, 10:48
2024_Lecture5
14.06.2024, 10:48
2024_Lecture4
14.06.2024, 10:48
2024_Lecture3
14.06.2024, 10:48
2024_Lecture2
14.06.2024, 10:47
2024_Lecture1
14.06.2024, 10:47
2024_Lecture6
14.06.2024, 10:46
Lecture 14 - Thin film technologies
31.05.2022, 15:48
Lecture 13 - Systems and Perspectives
31.05.2022, 08:00
Lecture 12: High efficiency concepts
18.05.2022, 10:08
Lecture 11 - PV modules, encapsulation and testing
10.05.2022, 15:47
Lecture 10 - Cell processing
05.05.2021, 15:08
Lecture 9 - Silicon-and-wafer-preparation
27.04.2021, 17:19
Lecture 8: Introduction to PC1D
13.04.2022, 10:23
Lecture 7 - P-N junction and solar cells in dark and under illumination
07.04.2022, 12:33
Lecture 5: Absorption, generation and recombination
29.03.2022, 21:40
Lecture 6. Generation and Recombination
29.03.2022, 15:47
Lecture 4 - Basic semiconductor properties
15.03.2022, 15:47
Lecture 3: introduction, part III
08.03.2022, 15:44
Lecture 3: introduction, part II
08.03.2022, 15:37
Lecture 2: Introduction, part II - 2022
01.03.2022, 15:37
Lecture 1 : General introduction to PV – part 1 #2022
23.02.2022, 10:35
Lecture 13: thin films and tandem solar cells
25.05.2021, 18:14
Lecture 12: Modules, encapsulation and testing
18.05.2021, 19:17
Lecture 11 - Very high efficiency concepts
11.05.2021, 16:28
Lescture 8 - PC1D modellization
22.04.2021, 12:11
Lecture 7 - Diode Equations
13.04.2021, 15:52
Lecture_6_Recombination
30.03.2021, 16:27
Lecture_5_Absorption-Generation
23.03.2021, 18:02
Lecture 4: basic semiconductor properties - part 2/2
16.03.2021, 16:43
Lecture 4: basic semiconductor properties - part 1/2
16.03.2021, 16:16
Lecture 3 : PV systems, grid integration
09.03.2021, 16:56
Lecture 2, part B
02.03.2021, 16:51
Lecture 2, part A
02.03.2021, 16:47
Lecture 1 - General introduction to PV p.I
23.02.2021, 15:30
Afternoon session
10.06.2020, 19:34
Morning session
10.06.2020, 19:28
Novel Concepts
26.05.2020, 15:32
Lecture 13 Thin Film I
19.05.2020, 16:31
Very high efficiency concepts
12.05.2020, 15:55
Lecture 11 Modules encapsulation and testing (part2of2)
05.05.2020, 15:48
Lecture 11 Modules encapsulation and testing (part 1of2)
05.05.2020, 15:46
Advanced cell processing
28.04.2020, 15:21
Wafers
21.04.2020, 15:16
Standard Si cell processing
07.04.2020, 15:45
Equations of solar cells (continue)
31.03.2020, 13:47
Equations of solar cells
24.03.2020, 17:19
Generation and recombination
18.03.2020, 17:23
Lecture 11 - PV modules, encapsulation and testing
10.05.2022, 15:47
2024_Lecture9
14.06.2024, 10:49
2024_Lecture12_2
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture14
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture12_1
14.06.2024, 10:50
Media
MICRO-565 Fundamentals & processes for photovoltaic devices
2024_Lecture14
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture12_2
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture12_1
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture11
14.06.2024, 10:49
2024_Lecture9
14.06.2024, 10:49
2024_Lecture8
14.06.2024, 10:48
2024_Lecture5
14.06.2024, 10:48
2024_Lecture4
14.06.2024, 10:48
2024_Lecture3
14.06.2024, 10:48
2024_Lecture2
14.06.2024, 10:47
2024_Lecture1
14.06.2024, 10:47
2024_Lecture6
14.06.2024, 10:46
Lecture 14 - Thin film technologies
31.05.2022, 15:48
Lecture 13 - Systems and Perspectives
31.05.2022, 08:00
Lecture 12: High efficiency concepts
18.05.2022, 10:08
Lecture 11 - PV modules, encapsulation and testing
10.05.2022, 15:47
Lecture 10 - Cell processing
05.05.2021, 15:08
Lecture 9 - Silicon-and-wafer-preparation
27.04.2021, 17:19
Lecture 8: Introduction to PC1D
13.04.2022, 10:23
Lecture 7 - P-N junction and solar cells in dark and under illumination
07.04.2022, 12:33
Lecture 5: Absorption, generation and recombination
29.03.2022, 21:40
Lecture 6. Generation and Recombination
29.03.2022, 15:47
Lecture 4 - Basic semiconductor properties
15.03.2022, 15:47
Lecture 3: introduction, part III
08.03.2022, 15:44
Lecture 3: introduction, part II
08.03.2022, 15:37
Lecture 2: Introduction, part II - 2022
01.03.2022, 15:37
Lecture 1 : General introduction to PV – part 1 #2022
23.02.2022, 10:35
Lecture 13: thin films and tandem solar cells
25.05.2021, 18:14
Lecture 12: Modules, encapsulation and testing
18.05.2021, 19:17
Lecture 11 - Very high efficiency concepts
11.05.2021, 16:28
Lescture 8 - PC1D modellization
22.04.2021, 12:11
Lecture 7 - Diode Equations
13.04.2021, 15:52
Lecture_6_Recombination
30.03.2021, 16:27
Lecture_5_Absorption-Generation
23.03.2021, 18:02
Lecture 4: basic semiconductor properties - part 2/2
16.03.2021, 16:43
Lecture 4: basic semiconductor properties - part 1/2
16.03.2021, 16:16
Lecture 3 : PV systems, grid integration
09.03.2021, 16:56
Lecture 2, part B
02.03.2021, 16:51
Lecture 2, part A
02.03.2021, 16:47
Lecture 1 - General introduction to PV p.I
23.02.2021, 15:30
Afternoon session
10.06.2020, 19:34
Morning session
10.06.2020, 19:28
Novel Concepts
26.05.2020, 15:32
Lecture 13 Thin Film I
19.05.2020, 16:31
Very high efficiency concepts
12.05.2020, 15:55
Lecture 11 Modules encapsulation and testing (part2of2)
05.05.2020, 15:48
Lecture 11 Modules encapsulation and testing (part 1of2)
05.05.2020, 15:46
Advanced cell processing
28.04.2020, 15:21
Wafers
21.04.2020, 15:16
Standard Si cell processing
07.04.2020, 15:45
Equations of solar cells (continue)
31.03.2020, 13:47
Equations of solar cells
24.03.2020, 17:19
Generation and recombination
18.03.2020, 17:23
Lecture 11 - PV modules, encapsulation and testing
10.05.2022, 15:47
2024_Lecture9
14.06.2024, 10:49
2024_Lecture12_2
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture14
14.06.2024, 10:50
2024_Lecture12_1
14.06.2024, 10:50
This file is part of the content downloaded from Fundamentals & processes for photovoltaic devices.
The course and the exercises will be held in presence every Tuesday, starting at 13h15 in CM1 1. Physical attendance is highly encouraged.
We will record the lectures of this year and make it available on the same day in the evening of the lecture https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/channel/MICRO-565+Fundamentals+%26+processes+for+photovoltaic+devices/30614
In preparation for the course, reading the Review on Semiconductor Physics from M.Green is highly encouraged (pdf available on Moodle).
- Green: Review of semiconductor properties (Chapter 2) (File)
- PV-Education website (URL)
- PV-system energy production (URL)
- Interesting review paper on PV's future challenges (File)
- Commercial progress and challenges for photovoltaics (File)
- Course Program and essential formulae 2022 (File)
- Solar Cell Efficiency Table (File)
- Course manuscript Spring 2025 (File)
General introduction to PV – part 1
- Sun
spectrum
- Basic
PV properties
- Spectral
response, quantum efficiency
- Standard
test conditions (STC, NOTC)
- Papers "Theoretical Efficiency Limits" (Folder)
- Approaching efficiency limits (Swanson paper) (File)
- from Solar Radiation to Electricity (File)
- Exercise 1 (File)
- Lecture 1 (File)
- Solutions 1 (File)
- Data_sheet Longi LR4 HMO4 (File)
- Lecture 1 - Quiz Solutions (File)
- Lecture 1 - Recording (URL)
Technology, market, and scenarios
- Potential and challenges of large-scale PV
- PV markets
- Electricity market
- PV Activities in Neuchatel (File)
- Exercises 2 (File)
- Lecture 2 - Quiz Solutions (File)
- Some reading material (Folder)
- Solution 2 (File)
- 2 technology market integration sustainability 2025 v2 04.03TA (File)
- Lecture 2 (File)
- Lecture 2 - Recording (URL)
Introduction to PV systems
- Inverters
- Grid connection
- PV systems
- Exercise 3 (File)
- Solution 3 (File)
- Lecture 3 - Quiz solution (File)
- Inertia and the power grid (File)
- Lecture 3 (File)
- 3 Energy yield and systems 2025 (File)
- Lecture 3 - Recording (URL)
From sustainability to practice and research
- Is PV sustainable?
- Some practical aspects of PV installations
- PV activities from R&D (EPFL and CSEM) to industrialization in Switzerland
- Datasheet Sunpower (File)
- a good read on terawattscale photovoltaics (File)
- Lecture 4 (File)
- Activities at EPFL and CSEM (File)
- Solutions 4 (File)
- Exercise 4 (File)
- Lecture 4 recording (URL)
Basic semiconductor properties
- Band structure of solids
- Fermi-Dirac statistics, density of states, concentration of carriers
- Extrinsic semiconductors: impurities/doping
- Basic carrier transport properties: drift and diffusion
- Quiz (Zoom link) (URL)
- Voc, FF calc (File)
- ASTMG173 (File)
- Exercise 5 (File)
- Solutions 5 (File)
- Lecture 5 - Semiconductors (File)
- Lecture 5 - Recording (URL)
Absorption and generation
- Optical properties of solar cells
- Materials with a direct and indirect bandgap
- Generation profile
- Lecture 6 (File)
- Exercise 6 (File)
- Lecture 6 - Quiz solutions (File)
- Solution 6 (File)
- Lecture 6 recording (URL)
31 March - 6 April
14 April - 20 April
Simulations of solar cells with PC1D
- Base material properties
- Definition of recombination/boundary conditions
- Excitation
- Optical properties
- Internal elements
- Shunt resistance, series resistance
- Parallel diode, two diode model
https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/2024_Lecture9/0_dkxn6bjf/30614
- PC1D (application files + exercise files) (File)
- Near_perfect_cell (File)
- Solution 9 (File)
- Exercise 9 (File)
- Lecture PC1D (File)
21 April - 27 April
28 April - 4 May
Silicon and Wafers
- Crystalline Si standard chain
- Generality crystalline silicon wafers
- Metallurgical grade (MG)
- Purification via the gas phase / Siemens process
- Ingot fabrication
- Wafering
- Alternative approach to wafering
5 May - 11 May
Silicon cell processing: Al-BSF and PERC
Generality on design of cells
- Standard process
- Etching
- Diffusion
- Antireflection layer
- Screen-printing
- Firing
- Measuring/sorting
- Perc Process
- Losses and potential gains
- Analysis of record cell
- Selective emitter
- Back surface passivation, PERC cells
- Metalisation/plating
- Exercise 11 (File)
- Solution 11 (File)
- Lecture 11 - Si solar cells processing AL-BSF and PERC (File)
- Recording Link Lecture 11 (URL)
12 May - 18 May
Very high efficiency concepts
- Advantages of high efficiency
- Temperature coefficient
- Passivated contacts
- Backcontact interdigitated cells
- C-Si Heterojunction
- Tunnel junction cells
- Multiple junctions based on Si and III-V
https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/2024_Lecture12_2/0_2xz51yu5/30614
- Exercise 12 (File)
- Lecture 12 (File)
- Solution 12 (File)
- 18.9% efficient full area laser doped silicon solar cell (File)
- SHJ model (File)
- Reading material about high efficiency cells (Folder)
- Lecture 12 - Recording (URL)
19 May - 25 May
Encapsulation and packaging
Goals and requirementsAccelerated aging testsTypical assembly and processesEncapsulation materialsCharacterizationCostsAesthetic
https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/Lecture+11+-+PV+modules%2C+encapsulation+and+testing/0_wggbx7wv
- Exercise 13 (File)
- Solution 13 (File)
- De Wolf et al, 2012, SHJ review (File)
- Example QCM for the exam (File)
- Solution example QCM for the exam (File)
- Lecture 13 - Solar PV Modules, Encapsulation & Testing (2025) (File)
- Recording (URL)
26 May - 1 June
Thin film and tandem solar cells
- A brief comparison of technologies
- Today's thin film - Chalcopyrites, CdTe, thin film Si
- Perovskite and perovskite-Si solar cells
- Other concepts (Quantum dots, polymers, organic, dye sensitized)