This book addresses the rapidly developing class of solar cell materials and designed to provide much needed information on the fundamental principles of these materials, together with how these are employed in photovoltaic applications. A special emphasize have been given for the space applications through study of radiation tolerant solar cells. This book present a comprehensive research outlining progress on the synthesis, fabrication and application of solar cells from fundamental to device technology and is helpful for graduate students, researchers, and technologists engaged in research and development of materials.

Autorentext

Dr. Sharma is a faculty in Materials Science at Department of Physics, Faculty of Science & Technology, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Trinidad & Tobago. Before joining UWI, he worked as a Professor Adjunto (IV) at Department of Physics, Federal University of Maranhao, Brazil (20142019). He has received his Ph.D. in Physics from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India. He worked on different research/academic positions in Brazil, France, Czech Republic, India and Mexico from 2007-2014. His research interests include magnetic nanohybrids, their synthesis, characterization and utilization in magnetic and biomedical applications.

Dr. Khuram Ali obtained his Ph.D. in June 2015 from School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, focusing on the solar cells development for terrestrial as well as space applications. After returning to his home country, he has joined Department of Physics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad as an assistant professor. Dr. Ali has more than ten years of research experience in areas of materials science, semiconductor device physics, photovoltaics, and modelling of solar cells. His research interest includes the area of magnetic nanoparticles, thin films, antireflections coatings for solar cells, photolithography, electrical and optical studies of opto-electronic devices. He has published 17 research articles in international referred journals along with 7 book chapters. He was awarded with three excellence awards and three competitive research grants and currently supervising 3 PhD and 5 Master students. He is also associate member of Abdus Salam Centre for Physics/National Centre of Physics (NCP), Islamabad, Pakistan.

Inhalt

Fundamental Background

CH01. Engineering of nanomaterials

This chapter introduces the basic background required to understand the behavior of materials at the nanometer scale and the various classes of nanomaterials with wide variety of applications. The important topics to be included: introduction to various classes of nanomaterials, including both inorganic and organic constituents; synthesis/fabrication of nanomaterials , including both chemical and physical process; characterization of nanomaterials, including x-ray diffraction techniques, scanning probe microscopy and electron microscopy; and the electronic, magnetic, optical and mechanical properties of nanomaterials. Along with this, the chapter includes the discussion about the origin the finite size effects in controlling the physical and chemical properties of these important materials. Finally the environmental, health and ethical concerns that must be confronted in modern and future engineering applications of nanomaterials will be discussed.

1.1 History and definition of nanomaterials

1.2 Formation of nanomaterials 1.3 Properties of nanomaterials

1.4 Applications of nanomaterials

1.5. Classification of Nanomaterials

1.6 Synthesis/fabrication of nanomaterials

1.6.1 Physical methods

1.6.2 Chemical methods 1.7 Characterization of nanomaterials

1.7.1 X-ray diffraction technique

1.7.2 Electron Microscopy 1.7.3 Electronic Properties

1.7.4 Magnetic Properties

1.7.5 Optical Properties

1.7.6 Mechanical Properties

1.6. Summary

CH02. Nanomaterials Processing and Manufacturing

Materials with particle size in the range 1-10 nm are called quasi 0-D mesoscopic system or quantum dots. The distinctive characteristic of nanomaterial which attracts attention towards itself is the size restrictions often produce qualitatively new properties and behavior. The success of nano manufacturing and processing depends on the strong cooperation between academia and industry in order to be informed about current needs and future challenges, to design products directly transferred into the commercial sector. In this chapter, we discuss nanomaterials processing and manufacturing on industrial scale using different physical and chemical approaches along with application in the area of fuel cell electrodes and catalysis.

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Nanomaterials and Processes
2.2.1 Bottom-up and top-down approaches
2.2.2 Dendrimers and processes
2.2.3 Nanomaterials clusters and arrays in zeolites
2.2.4 Synthesis of nanomaterials through arrested precipitation .
2.2.5 Self-assembled nanoscale materials and structures
2.3 Nanoscale Device and System Concept
2.4 Nanomaterials Processing and Manufacturing Techniques
2.4.1 Chemical approaches
2.4.2 Laser-assisted catalytic growth
2.4.3 Electrochemical approaches
2.4.4 Template approach
2.4.5 Lithography
2.4.6 Electrospinning
2.5 Applications
2.5.1 Fuel cell electrodes
2.5.2 Advanced catalysts and nanoreactors
2.6 Concluding Remarks

CH03. Physics of solar cell: basic concept and properties

The chapter begins with the basic concepts such as the source of energy, the role of photovoltaic conversion the development of photovoltaic cells, and sequence of phenomena involved in solar power generation. The photovoltaic cell or solar cell absorbs light and produces charge carriers of electrical current (electrons and holes). Its behavior is quite similar to a semiconductor diode that conducts the charge carriers in a specific direction after separation and collection process. For a fundamental understanding of the function of solar cell the central semiconductor parameters and propertie...