How do photovoltaic cells work and why do they require a crystalline structure and what is a crystalline structure?
In: Chemistry
A crystalline structure is when the atoms of a material are organized in an orderly, repeating fashion. Imagine a grid pattern where each atom sits at an intersection of the lines. In reality the shapes are three-dimensional and there are more patterns than simply a grid. In the case of photovoltaic cells, these crystalline structures are called semiconductors.
The photovoltaic effect occurs when light knocks electrons out of their orbits around atomic nuclei and those electrons can make their way from where they “detach” to the negative end of the semiconductor. The crystalline structure is key here. If you were to knock electrons out of their orbits in empty space (or any “messy” atomic structure), they could just go in any direction. The crystalline structure essentially provides a “track” for electrons to ride on so that they only go toward the negative electrode.
There a lot of intricacies I’ve neglected, but I think it’s pretty good. Anyone feel free to chime in if you think my explanation is lacking.
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