Unit 4

SOLAR POWER
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electrical device that converts the energy
of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and
chemical phenomenon. Although there are other types of solar cells and continuing
research promises new developments in the future, the crystalline silicon solar cell
is by far the most widely used. A silicon solar cell consists of a thin layer or wafer of
silicon that has been doped to create a pn junction. The depth and distribution of
impurity atoms can be controlled very precisely during the doping process. The
silicon wafer is doped so that the n region is much thinner than the p region to
permit light penetration, as shown in Figure 1(a).
A grid-work of very thin conductive contact strips are deposited on top of the
wafer by methods such as photoresist or silk-screen, as shown in Figure 1(a). The
contact grid must maximize the surface area of the silicon wafer that be exposed to
the sunlight in order to collect as much light energy as possible. The conductive grid
across the top of the cell is necessary so that the electrons have a shorter distance to
travel through the silicon when an external load is connected. The farther electrons
travel through the silicon material, the greater the energy loss due to resistance. A
solid contact covering all of the bottom of the wafer is then added, as indicated in
the figure. Thickness of the solar cell compared to the surface area is greatly
exaggerated for purposes of illustration.

(a) (b)

Figure 1. Basic construction and operation of a solar cell

After the contacts are incorporated, an antireflective coating is placed on top

the contact grid and n region. This allows the solar cell to absorb as much of the
sun’s energy as possible by reducing the amount of light energy reflected away from
the surface of the cell. Finally, a glass or transparent plastic layer is attached to the
top of the cell with transparent adhesive to protect it from the weather.
Sunlight is composed of photons, or “packets” of energy. The sun produces an
astounding amount of energy. The small fraction of the sun’s total energy that
reaches the earth is enough to meet all of our power needs many times over. There

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is sufficient solar energy striking the earth each hour to meet worldwide demands
for an entire year.
The n-type layer is very thin compared to the p region to allow light
penetration into the p region. The thickness of the entire cell is actually about the
thickness of an eggshell. When a photon penetrates either the n region or the p-type
region and strikes a silicon atom near the pn junction with sufficient energy to
knock an electron out of the valence band, the electron becomes a free electron and
leaves a hole in the valence band, creating an electron-hole pair. The amount of
energy required to free an electron from the valence band of a silicon atom is called
the band-gap energy and is 1.12 eV (electron volts). In the p region, the free electron
is swept across the depletion region by the electric field into the n region. In the n
region, the hole is swept across the depletion region by the electric field into the p
region. Electrons accumulate in the n region, creating a negative charge; and holes
accumulate in the p region, creating a positive charge. A voltage is developed
between the n region and p region contacts, as shown in Figure 1(b).
When a load is connected to a solar cell via the top and bottom contacts, the
free electrons flow out of the n region to the grid contacts on the top surface,
through the negative contact, through the load and back into the positive contact on
the bottom surface, and into the p region where they can recombine with holes. The
sunlight energy continues to create new electron-hole pairs and the process goes on,
as illustrated in Figure 1(b).

Words and expressions

Cell (n) Tế bào

Crystalline (adj) Thuộc về tinh thể
Consist (v) Bao gồm
Junction (n) Tiếp giáp
Dope (v) Pha tạp
Penetration (n) Sự xuyên qua
Conductive (adj) Dẫn điện
Deposit (v) Đặt để
Load (n) Tải
Absorb (v) Hấp thụ
Valence band (n) Vùng hóa trị
Conduction band (n) Vùng dẫn
Band-gap (n) Vùng cấm
Depletion (n) Sự thiếu hụt
Accumulate (v) Tích trữ
Develop (v) Phát triển
Recombine (v) Tái hợp

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1. Main idea
Which statement best expresses the main idea of the text? Why did you omit
the other choice?
1. The key feature of a solar cell is the pn junction.
2. The photovoltaic effect is the basic physical process by which a solar cell
converts sunlight into electricity.
3. A silicon solar cell consists of a thin layer or wafer of silicon that has been
doped to create a pn junction.

2. Questions

Answer the following questions

1. What does a solar cell consist of?
………………………………a thin layer or wafer of silicon that has been doped to
create a pn junction.
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Why is the conductive grid necessary?
…………………the conductive grid is necessary so that the electrons have a
shorter distance to travel through the silicon when an external load is
connected
……………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Why is solar power important?
……………there is sufficient solar energy striking the earth each hour to meet
worldwide demands for an entire year
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. What is an electron-hole pair?
………………paragraph #5
When a photon penetrates …., creating an electron-hole pair
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. What is a band-gap energy?
………………paragraph #5

The band-gap energy is the amount of energy required to free an electron

from the valence band of a silicon atom.
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Understand the passage

Decide whether the following statements are true or false (T/F) by referring
to the information in the text. Then make the necessary changes so that the false
statements become true.
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 1. …T The conductive grid is necessary to reduce the energy loss due to
(para2)… the resistance of the silicon material.
2. …T A band-gap energy is the amount of energy required to create an
(para5)… electron-hole pair.
3. …F… The key feature of a solar cell is the antireflective coating.
4. …F The conductive grid must be maximized in order to collect as much
(para2)… light energy as possible.
5. …F The energy loss of electrons is inversely proportional to the
(para2)… distance they travel.

4. Understanding words

Refer back to the text and find synonyms for the following words
1. pollutant (para 1) ………impurity………………..
2. put (para 2) ………deposit………………..
3. uncover (para 2) ………expose………………..
4. take in (para 3) ………absorb………………..
5. reduction (para 5) …………depletion……………..

Refer back to the text and find antonyms for the following words
6. gain (para 2) …………loss……………..
7. increase (para 3) …………reduce……………..
8. opaque (para 3) …………transparent……………..
9. inadequate (para 5) …………sufficient……………..
10. dissipate (para 5) …………accumulate……………..
5. Content review

Use the information in the text to complete the following summary

1. A solar cell collects energy from the sun and converts it to
…………electricity……………… through the photovoltaic process.
2. Sunlight contains photons or “packets” of energy sufficient to create
…………electron-hole pairs……………………………… in the n and p regions.
3. A band-gap energy is the amount of energy that a valence electron must have
in order to jump from the valence band to the conduction band.
4. Electrons accumulate in the n-region and holes accumulate in the p region,
producing ……………a voltage………………………………. across the cell.
5. ………Energy loss……………………… due to voltage drops, the photovoltaic
process, and other factors are inevitable, so minimizing losses is a critical
consideration in solar power systems.
6. English- Vietnamese translation

Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese, basing on the

information in the text.
1. Currently, the problem is in harnessing solar energy in sufficient amounts
and at a reasonable cost to meet our requirements.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. A solar system is typically designed taking into account the annual of average
peak sun per day for a given geographical area.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

7. Vietnamese- English translation

Translate the following sentences into English, basing on the information in

the text.
1. Sự tái hợp xảy ra khi điện tử tự do ở vùng dẫn mất năng lượng và rơi trở lại
lỗ trống nằm trong vùng hóa trị.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. Quá trình chuyển đổi năng lượng bao gồm hấp thụ năng lượng ánh sáng để
sinh ra các cặp điện tử - lỗ trống và phân tách các hạt tải điện.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

8. Discussion
Talking about solar power
- Basic construction of a solar cell
- Basic operation of a solar cell
- Applications of solar cells

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