Transistor Solar Power Generation

Could a solar-powered field-effect transistor be a game-changing technology?

A self-powered transistor utilizing a renewable source of energy would therefore be a potential game-changing technology. Now a solar-powered field-effect transistor or “solaristor” has been demonstrated by the research groups of Mónica Lira-Cantú and Gustau Catalán at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), Spain.

Could a self-powered transistor be a game-changing technology?

Although a disruptive technology, owing to their reliance on an external gate, transistors are, by nature, externally powered and energy-intensive, especially with the increasing packing densities of these devices. A self-powered transistor utilizing a renewable source of energy would therefore be a potential game-changing technology.

Is a solar cell characterized by a semiconductor transistor structure?

Nature Communications 6, Article number: 6902 (2015) Cite this article Here we propose, for the first time, a solar cell characterized by a semiconductor transistor structure (n/p/n or p/n/p) where the base–emitter junction is made of a high-bandgap semiconductor and the collector is made of a low-bandgap semiconductor.

What is a bipolar transistor?

In bipolar transistor terminology, this implies that the emitter injection efficiency (the ratio between the electron and the total emitter current densities crossing the emitter–base junction) has to be as close to zero as possible.

How do transistors work?

Transistors use a “gate” voltage to switch a semiconductor between ON and OFF states. Although a disruptive technology, owing to their reliance on an external gate, transistors are, by nature, externally powered and energy-intensive, especially with the increasing packing densities of these devices.

How do solar power plants produce electricity?

The ability of solar power plants to produce electrical energy is very dependent on the intensity of irradiance and duration of the sun's rays exposal on the PV panel . This device is called a solar tracker.