| Building the basic components of solar photovoltaic | | | | are carefully etched and cleaned. |
| panels is not a simple process; in fact, making actual | | | | The next step is to place these wafers into what is |
| solar cells from scratch is virtually impossible without | | | | known as a diffusion furnace. This exposes the wafer |
| the use of high-tech, specialized tools. You can put | | | | to extremely high temperatures, which cause the |
| photovoltaic panels together easily enough once you | | | | formation of an N-Type semiconductor. The "N" in this |
| have the cells, but the manufacture of solar cells | | | | case stands for "Negative;" this heat treatment |
| themselves is a highly complex process. (By the way, | | | | creates an abundance of negative electron charges, |
| the word "photovoltaic" is a fancy word for the | | | | which is what helps to produce direct current when |
| process by which sunlight is converted directly into | | | | direct sunlight hits the surface. |
| electricity.) | | | | But wait - we're not done, yet! The surface of the |
| A Cell Is Born | | | | wafer must then be painted with an anti-reflective |
| It's the photovoltaic cell itself that converts sunlight into | | | | coating. After all, we want our photovoltaic cell to |
| actual electric current. It has several other uses as well; | | | | absorb sunlight, not bounce it back into space! Once |
| they can be used in surveillance equipment that allow | | | | this is accomplished, the electrical contacts are |
| law enforcement to "see" through walls by detecting | | | | imprinted on the top. |
| infrared radiation as well as other types of | | | | What's missing? Ah, yes...the P-Type, or |
| electromagnetic radiation. It can also be used to | | | | positively-charged surface. This is created on the |
| measure light intensity, and therefore assist | | | | bottom, or back side of the photovoltaic cell, using a |
| photographers in calibrating their cameras, and to | | | | form of aluminum. |
| measure certain chemical reactions under lab | | | | Putting It Together |
| conditions. | | | | Once the cell has been tested, it is connected to other |
| The first step in crafting a photovoltaic panel is to | | | | cells to form solar photovoltaic panels. You can now |
| obtain a semiconductor. Usually, this is pure silicon, | | | | appreciate why these little devils are so expensive to |
| which is produced from quartz. The silicon is melted | | | | manufacture. The good news is that new technologies |
| down and combined with trace amounts of boron or | | | | - particularly nanotech, or the use of microscopic |
| phosphorus, then allowed to cool into a block shape. | | | | machines built at the molecular level - is dramatically |
| This block is then cut into thin wafers and the surfaces | | | | lowering the cost of this process. |