Review of Solid State Physics: Band theory of solids. Band structure of semiconductors. Defects in semiconductors. Review of Quantum Mechanics: Quantum states, energy levels and wavefunctions. Potential wells, potential barriers and quantum structures. Interaction of radiation with matter: Solar spectral irradiance. Absorptivity. Reflectivity. Transmissivity. Emissivity. Review of Atomic and Molecular spectroscopy: The electromagnetic spectrum. Orbitals and quantum numbers. Absorption and emission spectra. Spectroscopic techniques: (UV-Vis spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, photoluminescence spectroscopy etc.). Review of Thermodynamics and Heat transfer: Laws of Thermodynamics. Thermodynamic functions.