Lub xov tooj ntawm hnub ci yog ib qho khoom siv uas teb rau lub teeb pom kev thiab tuaj yeem hloov lub teeb hluav taws xob ua hluav taws xob. Muaj ntau yam khoom siv uas tuaj yeem tsim photovoltaic nyhuv, hnub ci vaj huam sib luag xws li: monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, vaj huam sib luag hnub ci amorphous silicon, gallium arsenide, indium tooj liab selenide thiab li ntawd. Lawv lub zog ntawm kev siv hluav taws xob hauv paus yog qhov zoo ib yam. Tam sim no peb coj crystalline silicon ua piv txwv qhia txog photovoltaic lub zog tsim hluav taws xob cov txheej txheem. P-hom crystalline silicon tuaj yeem doped nrog phosphorus kom tau N-hom silicon, hnub ci vaj huam sib luag tsim PN kev sib tshuam.
Thaum lub teeb irradiates saum npoo ntawm lub xovtooj ntawm lub hnub ci, ib feem ntawm cov photons tau nqus los ntawm cov khoom siv silicon; vaj huam sib luag lub hnub ci lub zog ntawm photons pauv mus rau silicon atoms, hnub ci vaj huam sib luag ua rau cov xaim hluav taws xob hloov pauv, ua hluav taws xob dawb, sib sau ua ke ntawm ob sab ntawm PN kev sib tshuam kom ua qhov txawv txav. Nyob rau hauv qhov kev txiav txim ntawm lub voltage no, lub hnub ci vaj huam sib luag yuav muaj qhov tam sim no ntws los ntawm sab nraud Circuit Court los tsim hluav taws xob tawm qee yam. Lub ntsiab lus ntawm cov txheej txheem no yog: cov txheej txheem ntawm kev hloov cov duab photon mus rau lub zog hluav taws xob.