Solar panels manufacturing with Carbon or Germanium semiconductors.

[prashantakerkar]

Do you feel it is feasible to design & manufacture solar panels using Carbon or Germanium semiconductors ?

If yes, any advantages regarding the same?

Thanks & Regards,

Prashant S Akerkar

[swansont]

What is the bandgap of carbon, and germanium?

[John Cuthber]

You can make germanium and diamond photodiodes so, it's possible in principle to make solar panels.

Silicon is cheaper.

Diamond only really works in the UV.

Germanium works in the visible and further into the IR than silicon

[swansont]

Cheaper is not the only issue. Silicon is more efficient. The band gap energy dictates the maximum efficiency, from the Shockley–Queisser limit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shockley–Queisser_limit

So Ge at 0.67 eV and especially diamond at 5.5 eV are well down on the efficiency curve. Ge maxes out at about 10% while Si could theoretically break 30%. That Si is cheaper is an added bonus. 

[prashantakerkar]

Thank you.

Between Germanium and Carbon,Which would be preferred for solar panel manufacturing if evaluated after silicon?

Will the manufacturing process for Solar panel vary if Germanium or Carbon is used Or the same manufacturing process currently employed for Silicon Semiconductor can be used?

Thanks & Regards,

Prashant S Akerkar

Edited July 31, 2018 by prashantakerkar
Content

[swansont]

17 minutes ago, prashantakerkar said:

Thank you.

Between Germanium and Carbon,Which would be preferred for solar panel manufacturing if evaluated after silicon?

Look at the efficiency graph in the link I provided. Tell me what your choice would be.