Photosynthetic solar cells yog cov khoom siv uas teb rau lub teeb thiab hloov lub teeb lub zog rau hauv hluav taws xob. Muaj ntau ntau hom ntaub ntawv uas tuaj yeem tsim cov teebmeem photovoltaic, xws li monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, gallium arsenide, selenium indium tooj liab, thiab lwm yam. piv txwv los piav txog cov txheej txheem ntawm kev tsim hluav taws xob photovoltaic. P-type crystalline silicon tuaj yeem doped nrog phosphorus kom tau N-hom silicon, tsim pN hlws ris.
Thaum lub teeb ci rau saum npoo ntawm lub hnub ci, ib feem ntawm cov photons yog absorbed los ntawm cov khoom siv silicon; Lub zog ntawm photons raug xa mus rau silicon atoms, ua rau cov hluav taws xob hloov pauv thiab ua dawb electrons. Lawv sib sau ua ke ntawm ob sab ntawm pN kev sib tshuam, tsim kom muaj qhov sib txawv. Thaum ib qho hluav taws xob sab nraud txuas nrog, nyob rau hauv qhov kev txiav txim ntawm qhov hluav taws xob no, ib qho tam sim no yuav ntws los ntawm cov khoom siv hluav taws xob sab nraud kom tsim tau ib qho hluav taws xob tso zis. Lub ntsiab ntawm cov txheej txheem no yog kev hloov pauv ntawm photon zog rau hauv hluav taws xob hluav taws xob.