First Silicon Solar Cell
Turning sunlight directly into electricity.
Explore this event on the interactive timeline →Researchers at Bell Labs achieved a landmark breakthrough by developing the first practical silicon solar cell.
Key Numbers
- Efficiency
- ~6%
- Material
- Silicon
Verified Facts
- Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson unveiled a device that demonstrated an efficiency of approximately 6%.
- This marked the first time a solar cell could convert enough sunlight into electricity to power practical electrical equipment, though it was astronomically expensive.