Question

Name any 2 elements that are used in fabricating solar cells?

Answer 1

- Hint: Fabrication is the process of using semi-finished materials to manufacture an item for practical use or application.

Complete step-by-step solution -

The two elements used in fabricating solar cells are silicon and silver.
Silicon is regarded as the semiconductor that is used to absorb solar energy. It also converts solar power into electrical energy. Light striking the silicon, introduces the photovoltaic effect to generate electricity.
Silver is used extensively in the production of solar panels. In fact, a paste containing silver is critical for both photovoltaic cells, and 90% of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells. The paste is used within solar cells in order to collect and transmit electrons whose movement is induced by sunlight through the photoelectric effect. In effect, silver helps conduct the electrons so as to create an electrical current; and this electricity can then be stored or consumed. The superior resistivity of silver increases the potential sunlight captured, energy conducted, and ultimately the total power that is generated in a solar cell — the efficiency of solar cells is thus somewhat proportional to their silver content.

Note: Solar cell, also called photovoltaic cell, any device that directly converts the energy of light into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect. The overwhelming majority of solar cells are fabricated from silicon—with increasing efficiency and lowering cost as the materials range from amorphous (noncrystalline) to polycrystalline to crystalline (single crystal) silicon forms. Unlike batteries or fuel cells, solar cells do not utilize chemical reactions or require fuel to produce electric power, and, unlike electric generators, they do not have any moving parts.