Lub hnub ci cell yog ib yam khoom uas teb rau lub teeb thiab hloov lub teeb lub zog rau hauv hluav taws xob. Muaj ntau yam khoom siv uas tuaj yeem tsim cov nyhuv photovoltaic, xws li: ib leeg siv lead ua silicon, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, gallium arsenide, indium selenium tooj liab thiab lwm yam. Lawv cov qauv tsim hluav taws xob yog qhov zoo ib yam, thiab cov txheej txheem tsim hluav taws xob photoelectric tau piav qhia los ntawm kev siv crystalline silicon ua piv txwv. P-type crystalline silicon tuaj yeem doped nrog phosphorus kom tau txais N-hom silicon, tsim PN kev sib tshuam.
Thaum lub teeb ci rau saum npoo ntawm lub hnub ci, qee qhov photons tau nqus los ntawm cov khoom siv silicon; lub zog ntawm cov photons raug xa mus rau silicon atoms, ua rau cov hluav taws xob hloov pauv thiab ua cov electrons dawb los sib sau ua ke ntawm ob sab ntawm PN kev sib tshuam los tsim qhov sib txawv. Thaum cov hluav taws xob sab nraud txuas nrog, nyob rau hauv qhov kev txiav txim ntawm qhov hluav taws xob no, yuav muaj ib qho tam sim no ntws los ntawm cov hluav taws xob sab nraud los tsim kom muaj qee qhov tso zis hluav taws xob. Lub ntsiab ntawm cov txheej txheem no yog: cov txheej txheem ntawm hloov photon zog rau hauv hluav taws xob lub zog.