RAS question
Which material is commonly used in the fabrication of solar cells?
Correct answer: (A) Silicon.
Silicon is the material commonly used in the fabrication of solar cells because it is the standard semiconductor material for solar energy conversion.
Explanation
Solar cells are commonly fabricated from silicon, especially monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon, because silicon is a semiconductor with properties suited to converting sunlight into electrical energy. The cited NREL page supports this core point by discussing silicon solar cells as the mainstream technology and noting that solar cells made from silicon account for more than 96% of the global market. It also identifies boron-doped silicon as the commonly used semiconductor in manufacturing these cells. That is why, in a basic Science and Technology MCQ, silicon is the expected answer: it is not merely a support or casing material, but the active semiconductor material around which standard solar cell fabrication is built.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Aluminium is a conductor and is used in parts such as frames, but the question asks for the active material commonly used to fabricate the solar cell itself.
- (C) Iron is not used as the standard semiconductor material in solar cell fabrication, so it does not fit the role described in the question.
- (D) Titanium has niche roles in some solar technologies, such as titanium dioxide in dye-sensitised solar cells, but silicon is the standard material for common solar cells.
Concept
This tests the Science and Technology concept of semiconductor materials in renewable-energy devices. It recurs in RAS because solar energy, photovoltaic conversion and basic material choices are frequent links between physics, technology and energy policy.