The authoritative reference on catalytic chemical vapor deposition, written by the inventor of the technology. This comprehensive book covers a wide scope of Cat-CVD and related technologies from the fundamentals to the many applications, including the design of a Cat-CVD apparatus. Featuring contributions from four senior leaders in the field, including the father of catalytic chemical vapor deposition, it also introduces some of the techniques used in the observation of Cat-CVD related phenomena so that readers can understand the concepts of such techniques. Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition: Technology and Applications of Cat-CVD begins by reviewing the analytical tools for elucidating the chemical reactions in Cat-CVD, such as laser-induced fluorescence and deep ultra-violet absorption, and explains in detail the underlying physics and chemistry of the Cat-CVD technology. Subsequently it provides an overview of the synthesis and properties of Cat-CVD-prepared inorganic and organic thin films. The last parts of this unique book are devoted to the design and operation of Cat-CVD apparatuses and the applications. Provides coherent coverage of the fundamentals and applications of catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) Assembles in one place the state of the art of this rapidly growing field, allowing new researchers to get an overview that is difficult to obtain solely from journal articles Presents comparisons of different Cat-CVD methods which are usually not found in research papers Bridges academic and industrial research, showing how CVD can be scaled up from the lab to large-scale industrial utilization in the high-tech industry. Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition: Technology and Applications is an excellent one-stop resource for researchers and engineers working on or entering the field of Cat-CVD, Hot-Wire CVD, iCVD, and related technologies.

Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Solar Cells: Modeling, Materials and Device Technology provides a comprehensive overview of materials for application in thin film solar cells. It is the first book that compares experimental and computer-modeling methods, combining the state of the art in technology with the latest insights in device modeling. A wide range of experimental issues are explored, from materials and basic device physics of thin film solar cells to potential mass production facilities for solar panels. The modeling section presents an approach to integrated optical and electrical modeling of complete devices, including optical light trapping, and describes the physical materials parameters related to amorphous silicon that are crucial for successful modeling. The increasing importance of multijunction cells with different bandgap components for thin film silicon cells is reflected in a description of the latest breakthroughs acquired experimentally and by modeling. Concluding chapters describe what can be learned from combined modeling and device fabrication, indicating potential future methods of amorphous silicon solar cell optimization. This book will prove invaluable to researchers in the amorphous and microcrystalline silicon field and the physical and experimental approaches will be of interest to researchers investigating solar cells or other film devices for large area applications.

Amorphous silicon solar cell technology has evolved considerably since the first amorphous silicon solar cells were made at RCA Laboratories in 1974. Scien tists working in a number of laboratories worldwide have developed improved alloys based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon and microcrystalline silicon. Other scientists have developed new methods for growing these thin films while yet others have developed new photovoltaic (PV) device structures with im proved conversion efficiencies. In the last two years, several companies have constructed multi-megawatt manufacturing plants that can produce large-area, multijunction amorphous silicon PV modules. A growing number of people be lieve that thin-film photovoltaics will be integrated into buildings on a large scale in the next few decades and will be able to make a major contribution to the world's energy needs. In this book, Ruud E. I. Schropp and Miro Zeman provide an authoritative overview of the current status of thin film solar cells based on amorphous and microcrystalline silicon. They review the significant developments that have occurred during the evolution of the technology and also discuss the most im portant recent innovations in the deposition of the materials, the understanding of the physics, and the fabrication and modeling of the devices.