Key Developments in Thin Film Solar Cells

Dear Colleagues,

The worldwide annual photovoltaic (PV) module production is growing exponentially, with an average yearly increase of the installed capacity of slightly higher than 30%. Nevertheless, the development of ultralow-cost PV systems, to ensure the economic viability of solar energy in terrestrial applications, is widely considered a necessary step in the near future. Thin-film solar cells, saving on raw materials and being environmentally friendly technologies, have the potential to meet this need. Moreover, thin films show advantages over their bulk-semiconductor counterparts due to their lighter weight, flexible shape, easier building integration, device fabrication schemes, and low cost in large-scale production. As evidence, several technologies have been implemented and different materials have proven their suitability for the production of solar cells in excess of 20% conversion efficiency. A keystone will be to continue and even intensify research in thin-film solar cells, in order to ensure viable options for a large-scale use of photovoltaic solar electricity. This Special Issue is a contribution towards this ambition. It will cover most possibilities for thin-film solar cells, which are presently being studied: thin-film silicon, polycrystalline and amorphous semiconductors (a-Si, Cu(In,Ga)Se₂, CdTe, kesterites), organic photovoltaics (OPV), and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Moreover, it presents a wide range of scientific and technological aspects on deposition technologies, basic properties, and device physics of high-efficiency thin film solar cells.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles, as well as review articles, that will stimulate the continuing efforts to understand the best strategies for developing high efficiency solar cells.

Dr. Prof. Alessio Bosio
Guest Editor

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