OVERVIEW

This course offers an advanced treatment of inorganic materials for photovoltaic (PV) applications, with a focus on crystalline solids and thin-film technologies. Building on prior knowledge of solar energy conversion and photovoltaic fundamentals, it adopts a materials-oriented perspective on the relationships between composition, crystal structure, chemical bonding, and electronic properties. The course examines how these factors determine the functional behavior of inorganic semiconductors used in second-generation PV technologies. Particular attention is devoted to defects, doping, and fabrication processes, with emphasis on chalcogenide and perovskite absorbers and transparent conductive oxides, as well as on advanced photovoltaic concepts beyond conventional single-junction devices.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The students will appreciate the potential of photovoltaics (PV) as a viable paradigm for the conversion of solar irradiation into electricity to satisfy humankind’s power needs. After having dealt with the foundations of PV and first generation PV technologies in the course entitled “Solar Energy and Solar Cells” (second semester), students of this course at the third semester will learn to classify and analyse inorganic crystalline materials based on their composition and chemical bonding. They will understand and apply both classical and quantum-mechanical based bonding and electronic structure theories to selected inorganic PV materials. They will describe the relationship between crystal structure, bonding type, and physical properties. They will appreciate the impact and relevance of point and extended defects in such materials during fabrication and operation, with a focus on second generation technologies, known as thin films. Based on the chemical nature of the various PV materials, they will learn some basic principles for the design of effective fabrication routes.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to deepen students’ understanding of the fundamental principles governing inorganic materials used in photovoltaic technologies, with particular emphasis on the interplay between structure, bonding, defects, and properties. It also aims to develop the ability to critically analyze and design materials and processes relevant to advanced and emerging PV systems.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• critically classify and compare inorganic crystalline materials based on composition, bonding, and crystal structure;
• interpret complex crystal structures using crystallographic concepts and appropriate visualization tools;
• apply classical and quantum-mechanical models to explain chemical bonding and electronic structure in inorganic solids;
• analyze and rationalize the relationships between structure, bonding, and optoelectronic properties of photovoltaic materials;
• evaluate the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic defects on the performance of inorganic semiconductors;
• apply thermodynamic and kinetic principles to the analysis and design of fabrication routes for thin-film PV materials;
• critically assess the properties and technological potential of key inorganic materials, including chalcogenides, perovskites, and transparent conductive oxides;
• discuss and evaluate advanced photovoltaic architectures and their relevance for next-generation solar energy conversion.

PREREQUISITES

Attendance of the course “Solar Energy and Solar Cells” is recommended.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures and classroom workshops

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The crystal state: crystal systems and Bravais lattice, space groups, Wyckoff positions and Pearson symbols. Use of software for the visualization and interpretation of crystal structures.

The van Arkel Ketelaar bonding triangle. Crystal and electronic structure of typical metallic, ionic and covalent materials. Classical approaches to chemical bonding: ionic radii and Pauling’s rules, Madelung energy, Born-Mayer and Kapustinskii equations, volume increments, bond valence method and symmetry principles. Introduction to the main quantum-chemical approaches to described the chemical bonding in crystalline solids.

Extrinsic and intrinsic doping, and the roles of point and extended defects in PV materials’ optoelectronic properties beyond silicon. Fabrication routes for PV solar cell absorber and window layers under the lens of thermodynamics and kinetics considerations, with emphasis on the nature of bulk and interfaces in chalcogenide (CIGS, CdTe, CZTS) and perovskite semiconductor absorbers and transparent conductive oxides.

Advanced PV concepts: beyond single junction, (micro)concentrator, and striped PV.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Antony R. West, Basic Solid State Chemistry, Wiley-VCH

2. Ulrich Müller, Inorganic Structural Chemistry, Wiley-VCH

3. Richard Dronskowski, Computational Chemistry of Solid State Materials, Wiley-VCH

4. Peter Würfel, Physics of Solar Cells: From Principles to New Concepts, Wiley-VCH

5. Arthur J. Nozik et al., Advanced Concepts in Photovoltaics, RSC Energy and Env. Series

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

According to the timetable reported here 

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will consist of an oral interview based on the course syllabus.

For students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD), please refer to the “Further Information” section.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Thanks to the oral exam and given that the two instructors have several years of experience in conducting examinations in the subject area, the examination board is able to assess with a high degree of accuracy whether the learning objectives of the course have been achieved. When these objectives are not met, students are encouraged to deepen their study and to seek further clarification from the course instructors.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Compensatory and dispensatory measures Disability/Invalidity/Specific Learning Disorder

Dispensatory measures and compensatory tools are intended to enable students to achieve the same learning objectives as their fellow students, not to facilitate the examination.

The use of compensatory tools and the application of dispensatory measures must be authorised in advance by the teacher in agreement with the Referee.

To take advantage of the adaptations during the examination, fill in the Adaptation request form; the request will be automatically sent by the system to the teacher in charge of the teaching, to the Contact Person of your School/Area/Department and in copy to the Sector; you will also receive a copy of the request sent by e-mail.

The adjustments available to students are as follows:

• Additional time (+30% DSA)
• Additional time (+50% disability/invalidity)
• Additional time during oral exams to organise the answer
• Calculator (programmable and graphing calculators are not allowed)
• Conceptual Maps
• Tables and/or Forms
• Take the exam in written form
• Take the exam in oral form
• Tutor reader (for written tests only)
• Tutor-writer (for written tests only)

Your request for adaptations must be submitted at least 7 working days before the scheduled exam date.

All information for students with disabilities and DSA is available on the webpage: Services for students with disabilities or DSA | UniGe | University of Genoa

Reference for inclusion: Sergio Di Domizio - sergio.didomizio@unige.it