Lub hnub ci vaj huam sib luag yog ib qho cuab yeej uas tuaj yeem hloov lub hnub ci zog rau hauv hluav taws xob hluav taws xob. Nws txoj hauv kev ua haujlwm yog ua raws li cov nyhuv photoelectric, uas yog lub cev tshwm sim ntawm kev hloov lub teeb lub zog rau hauv lub zog hluav taws xob. Lub hnub ci vaj huam sib luag feem ntau yog tsim los ntawm ntau lub hnub ci cell, txhua qhov muaj cov khoom siv semiconductor, feem ntau yog silicon lossis lwm yam ntaub ntawv.
Thaum tshav ntuj ci rau hnub ci vaj huam sib luag, photons yog absorbed los ntawm semiconductor cov ntaub ntawv thiab lub zog uas lawv nqa yog tso tawm rau electrons nyob rau hauv lub semiconductor. Nyob rau ntawm lub sijhawm no, cov hluav taws xob zoo siab los ntawm lub zog yuav hloov los ntawm lawv qhov qub bandgap orbitals mus rau qhov conduction band thiab tsim cov electrons dawb. Cov hluav taws xob dawb no yuav txav mus rau ntawm electron concentrator hauv lub hnub ci vaj huam sib luag, tsim hluav taws xob tam sim no.
Hauv cov hnub ci vaj huam sib luag, cov khoom siv semiconductor nrog cov khoom zoo thiab tsis zoo, xws li p-hom thiab n-hom, feem ntau yog siv los ua PN junctions. Cov khoom siv hauv cheeb tsam p-hom yog doped nrog me me ntawm Akali hlau. Nyob rau hauv tshav ntuj irradiation, Akali hlau cov ntaub ntawv yuav hloov electrons mus rau n-hom khoom, tsim ib tug hluav taws xob tam sim no. Qhov kev sib tshuam PN no ua tiav txoj haujlwm ntawm kev hloov lub teeb lub zog rau hauv lub zog hluav taws xob.
Hnub ci vaj huam sib luag muaj ntau yam zoo, ntawm ib sab, lawv yog cov ntshiab thiab huv, tsis muaj kev ua qias tuaj tom qab; Ntawm qhov tod tes, nws muaj kev ntseeg siab ntev ntev thiab kev pabcuam lub neej ntau dua 30 xyoo. Ntxiv mus, tus nqi ntawm cov hnub ci vaj huam sib luag tau qis zuj zus nrog kev nce qib ntawm kev siv tshuab, thiab tam sim no nce mus txog tus nqi ntawm fossil fuels.
Kev siv cov hnub ci vaj huam sib luag tuaj yeem tsis tsuas yog muab cov neeg siv lub zog huv thiab rov ua dua tshiab, txo kev cia siab ntawm fossil fuels, tab sis kuj pab peb tiv thaiv ib puag ncig zoo dua thiab ua tiav txoj kev loj hlob.