Researchers observed several key properties of silicon that made it an attractive material for developing solar cells:
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Semiconductor Properties: Silicon is a semiconductor, which means it has a conductivity level between that of a conductor and an insulator. This property allows it to effectively absorb light and generate electron-hole pairs when exposed to sunlight. This behavior is essential for the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy.
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Abundance and Availability: Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, making it relatively easy and inexpensive to source. This availability makes silicon-based solar cells a practical option for large-scale production.
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Band Gap: Silicon has a suitable band gap of about 1.1 eV, which is ideal for photovoltaic applications. This band gap allows silicon to effectively capture a broad spectrum of sunlight, maximizing energy conversion efficiency.
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Stability and Longevity: Silicon wafers and solar cells exhibit good chemical stability and resistance to environmental degradation. This durability contributes to the long lifespans of silicon solar panels, typically lasting 25 years or more with minimal loss in efficiency.
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Established Manufacturing Techniques: The semiconductor industry had already developed well-established techniques for purifying and processing silicon, such as the Czochralski process for producing single crystal silicon. This means that the necessary infrastructure and expertise were already in place for silicon solar cell production.
These factors combined led researchers and manufacturers to adopt silicon as the primary material in the development of solar cells, resulting in the widespread use of silicon-based photovoltaic technology in the renewable energy sector.
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