I want to know how to make a sample solar cell which can generate power of a very small magnitude. What material is required and how would I assemble it to make a simple solar cell?
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How much time are you willing to invest, and what type of solar cell? – tyblu Jan 03 '11 at 22:53
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Copper Oxide solar cells can easily be made "at home'. Power out is utterly minimal - but they are a true photovoltaic device. – Russell McMahon Feb 27 '14 at 09:38
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Shining bright sunlight on an LED or any optical, junction device (photodiode etc.) will cause it to generate a very small amount of electricity - you might have a play with that phenomenon.
Linker3000
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For my optoelectronics class final project, my group attempted to make a nanocrystalline titanium dioxide solar cell. Short of having access to silicon fab equipment, I think this dye-sensitized solar cell is the best you can do.
The (slightly) less-common materials it uses are:
- Tin-oxide-coated glass plates/slides
- Nanocrystalline TiO2
- Potassium iodide
Ours ended up failing, I believe it was because the consistency of our TiO2 paste wasn't that good, or some possible shorts between the plates. This seems to be a fairly common educational cell, and the mechanism of action is well-described.
Nick T
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