Abstract
Energy is the basic input for the improvement of the social status of human
beings and the development of a nation. At present, we are observing a shift in the use
of energy from non-renewable to the renewable energy due to exhausting natural
resources of non-renewable energy and other environmental and climatic concerns.
Solar energy resource is an inexhaustible source of energy. The development of first
generation solar cells using silicon material in the middle of the nineteenth century
introduced a new era in the renewable energy transformation process when the first
solar cells were flown on the fourth satellite, the Vanguard-I in 1958. But despite
abundant material resources, high stability and good performance, this technology
could not fulfill the energy need except a fraction due to very long payback time. The
second generation solar cells are also not very encouraging due to the scarcity of
materials and their toxic nature. The third generation solar cells, due to extremely low
energy payback time and unlimited availability of material are promising devices to
contribute significantly in solar energy conversion, despite limitations of poor stability
and low efficiency. The present chapter critically analyses the third generation solar
cells, in regard to materials, production, fabrication process, energy payback time,
efficiency and applications.