Is Germanium Used In Solar Panels

It is also used in the core of optical fiber cables.

Is germanium used in solar panels.

Fiber optics are thin strands of glass that are bundled together and used to send signals. It is also used in airport screening and other applications to detect sources of radiation. Germanium is combined with oxygen for use in camera lenses and microscopy. As an intrinsic semiconductor however germanium also is a powerful ingredient in highly efficient but expensive solar panels.

Germanium substrates are used to form the base layer in multijunction solar cells which are the highest efficiency solar cells currently available according to the usgs. But silicon is more abundant than germanium. Germanium is also used to make solar panels that help convert sunlight into energy and for fiber optics. No germanium is not used in solar cells.

Germanium was originally the semiconductor material most used. Scientists at the united states national renewable energy laboratory nrel and the korea advanced institute of science and technology have demonstrated a method of producing gallium arsenide. Due to heightened interest in renewable energy sources the production of solar panels has increased in the production of solar panels germanium is doped to a silicon compound so as to change the energy gap matéo vélez et al 2012. It has a higher melting temperature for wider processing range a wider temperature range of operation and you get the added bonus of natural growth of silicon dioxide.

It is also used in thermal imaging applications for military and fire fighting use.