The Schottky Barrier Cell Principle

The electrical characteristics of the Schottky barrier are well known and have been considerably studied and reviewed .  

Their application to photovoltaic conversion is a more recent study but there is now an extensive literature that is rapidly expanding. See references for example. A review by Pulfrey in 1978 is well referenced and gives a good starting point for further study. 

In the Schottky barrier solar cell light energy is transmitted into a semiconductor substrate through an extremely thin semitransparent metal layer . The metal and semiconductor are chosen so that the difference in their work functions causes a depletion region and hence an electric field to be produced below the semiconductor surface. Those photons absorbed within the semiconductor produce electron holes pairs which are separated under the action of the electric field and flow to opposite sides of the junction. The separated charge tends to forward bias the junction causing a 

SBSCs may be divided into two categories those in which the semiconductor is n-type and those in which it is p-type. Both types are considered here although the discussion is limited to the semiconductor silicon. 

The satisfactory operation of the SBSC relies largely upon efficient light transmission into the semiconductor substrate. 

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