In solar PV panel, P-N junction diode is used as solar PV cell which absorbs the light and convert light into electricity. But normal diode can not absorbs the light.
What is the structural difference between normal diode and Solar PV diode?
The solar cell is a pn-junction diode optimized to convert the incident solar radiation to electrical energy. Like wise every diode is optimized for its specific application such as rectifier diodes and zener diodes.
The major difference, however . is the metallization of the two electrodes, the anode and the cathode.
The back side of the solar cell which is normally the anode is completely metallized while the front side electrode is partially metallized in form of metal fingers and buss bars to allow light to pass to the active solar solar cell material and absorbed in the material to generate the photocurrent and at the same time collecting the photocurrent by the metal grid to access electrically the front electrode.
The other main difference is in the doping of the substrate material it is selected to optimize the the open circuit voltage while collecting an appreciable part of the incident radiation by adjusting its thicness. The optimum doping concentration fore silicon is about 10^17/cm^3 and the thicness is about 250 micrometer.
The normal diode is fully metallised from both sides an therefore it is opaque for light.
The course in this link may be useful to you:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236002879_A_course_on_photo-voltaic_array_systems
Best wishes
Book A course on photo-voltaic array systems
The solar cell is a pn-junction diode optimized to convert the incident solar radiation to electrical energy. Like wise every diode is optimized for its specific application such as rectifier diodes and zener diodes.
The major difference, however . is the metallization of the two electrodes, the anode and the cathode.
The back side of the solar cell which is normally the anode is completely metallized while the front side electrode is partially metallized in form of metal fingers and buss bars to allow light to pass to the active solar solar cell material and absorbed in the material to generate the photocurrent and at the same time collecting the photocurrent by the metal grid to access electrically the front electrode.
The other main difference is in the doping of the substrate material it is selected to optimize the the open circuit voltage while collecting an appreciable part of the incident radiation by adjusting its thicness. The optimum doping concentration fore silicon is about 10^17/cm^3 and the thicness is about 250 micrometer.
The normal diode is fully metallised from both sides an therefore it is opaque for light.
The course in this link may be useful to you:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236002879_A_course_on_photo-voltaic_array_systems
Best wishes
Book A course on photo-voltaic array systems
Maharaja,
Prof. Zekry has detailed the differences very well. I also thank him for the book, which will serve as a bonus for me.
I will add a few points as my two-penny bit:
Cheers !
-Sanjay
I strongly agree with Prof Zekry,
and in addition to that I can add a short note.
The single diode in solar cell is represent the operation work besides it use in the modeling of the solar cells.
Both are silicon diodes but the requirements are different..a photo diode has small area of silicon and hence it generates less amount of power.Whereas it is quite different in solar diode.It has large area of silicon and hence generates considerable amount of power.
Prof Zekry, Prof Sanjoy, Ali and Jenifer enrich the discussion. I may add that both of them (solar cell and diode) are pn junction and silicon based technology. However, there is difference in the way of doping the impurities, I-V characteristics, and manufacturing process. All these will come up with different pn junction with and different characteristics used for different applications.
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