A photovoltaic device (PV) is a semiconductor device that converts photons from the sun into electricity. The different PV technologies are identified by the nature of the absorbing material (a-Si:H, µc-Si:H, Si, CdTe, Cu(InGa)Se2, polymers…).

Examples of material structures that can be characterised by spectroscopic ellipsometry include:

• Amorphous, poly, micro, nano crystalline silicon
• III-V compound semiconductor materials: CIGS, CdTe, GaAs
• Transparent conducting oxides
• SiN
• Organic materials