Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Types of Semiconductors01:20

Types of Semiconductors

1.8K
Intrinsic semiconductors are highly pure materials with no impurities. At absolute zero, these semiconductors behave as perfect insulators because all the valence electrons are bound, and the conduction band is empty, disallowing electrical conduction. The Fermi level is a concept used to describe the probability of occupancy of energy levels by electrons at thermal equilibrium. In intrinsic semiconductors, the Fermi level is positioned at the midpoint of the energy gap at absolute zero. When...
1.8K
P-N junction01:11

P-N junction

1.7K
A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...
1.7K
Biasing of P-N Junction01:16

Biasing of P-N Junction

2.7K
The operation of a p-n junction diode involves various biasing conditions, including forward bias, reverse bias, and equilibrium.
In equilibrium, no external voltage is applied across the p-n junction. The depletion region is formed at the junction interface due to the diffusion of carriers, which leaves behind charged dopants, acceptors on the p-side, and donors on the n-side. These immobile charges create an electric field that prevents further diffusion of carriers. The related energy band...
2.7K
Metal-Semiconductor Junctions01:24

Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

1.4K
The contact of metal and semiconductor can lead to the formation of a junction with either Schottky or Ohmic behavior.
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The...
1.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Mechanically Stable Metal/Silica Antireflective and Antidust Coatings with Controlled Optical Properties to Mitigate Dust Adhesion in Desert Conditions.

ACS omega·2026
Same author

Improving Thermoelectric Properties of Bi2Te3 Thin Films By Manganese Co-Sputtering.

Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE·2026
Same author

Manganese (Mn) doping effects on the structure and surface characteristics of copper zinc tin sulphide (CZTS) transition metal sulphides synthesised <i>via</i> a sol-gel method.

RSC advances·2026
Same author

Enhanced prediction and optimization of thin metal film optical properties using optimized ensemble learning models.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Enhanced perovskite solar cells performance with TiO<sub>x</sub> and SnO<sub>x</sub> thin films as electron transport layers.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Performance and emission prediction using ANN (artificial neural network) on H<sub>2</sub>-assisted Garcinia gummi-gutta biofuel doped with nano additives.

Scientific reports·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping
09:32

Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping

Published on: July 2, 2012

18.3K

A Comparative Study on p- and n-Type Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells by AFORS-HET.

Wabel Mohammed Alkharasani1, Nowshad Amin1, Seyed Ahmad Shahahmadi2

  • 1Institute of Sustainable Energy (ISE), Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, Kajang 43000, Malaysia.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 28, 2022
PubMed
Summary

This study compares p-type and n-type silicon heterojunction solar cells. P-type front-emitter cells achieve 28% efficiency, outperforming n-type rear-emitter cells (26%) under ideal conditions.

Keywords:
AFORS-HETcrystalline silicon solar cellsheterojunctionn- and p-types wafersrear and front-emitterssimulation

More Related Videos

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic&#8211;Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer
08:29

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic–Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer

Published on: January 10, 2017

7.8K
Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells
10:31

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

Published on: November 16, 2018

6.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 2, 2026

Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping
09:32

Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping

Published on: July 2, 2012

18.3K
Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic&#8211;Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer
08:29

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic–Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer

Published on: January 10, 2017

7.8K
Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells
10:31

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

Published on: November 16, 2018

6.7K

Area of Science:

  • Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy
  • Semiconductor Device Physics
  • Materials Science for Solar Energy Conversion

Background:

  • N-type silicon wafers offer advantages for high-efficiency solar cells but face cost barriers.
  • Silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells are advancing, but the cost-efficiency of n-type wafers remains a key consideration.
  • A direct comparison of p-type and n-type SHJ solar cells is crucial for market growth.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically compare the performance of p-type and n-type silicon heterojunction solar cells.
  • To evaluate device performance under both ideal and non-ideal (defect) conditions.
  • To provide insights for developing SHJ solar cells with comparable efficiencies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized AFORS-HET numerical software for device simulation.
  • Investigated both front- and rear-emitter architectures for p-type and n-type wafers.
  • Optimized bandgap and electron-affinity of passivating and doping layers.

Main Results:

  • Under ideal conditions, p-type front-emitter SHJ solar cells reached a maximum conversion efficiency of 28%.
  • Under ideal conditions, n-type rear-emitter SHJ solar cells achieved a maximum conversion efficiency of 26%.
  • Optimized layer properties (bandgap 1.3–1.7 eV, electron-affinity 3.9–4 eV) enabled high efficiencies.

Conclusions:

  • P-type front-emitter SHJ solar cells demonstrate superior performance over n-type rear-emitter cells under ideal conditions.
  • The choice of wafer type and emitter architecture significantly impacts SHJ solar cell efficiency.
  • Further research can leverage these findings to develop cost-effective, high-performance SHJ solar cells.