Materials Science
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Materials Science
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My work in photovoltaics using polycrystalline thin film compounds requires solving problems in materials science.
This involves consideration of the chemical nature of the materials, their structure and morphology, and how film and device fabrication influences their optical and electronic properties and, ultimately, the output of completed solar cells. In the case of solar cells made from polycrystalline thin film materials, the solar cell invention preceded fundamental understanding of the device operation. This is in sharp contrast to crystalline silicon solar cells, which were developed and refined in accordance with the predictions of established solid state theory. It is crucial to point out, however, that issues pertaining to surface recombination and interface states cannot be predicted and yet require device fabrication and analysis to be fully understood.
At IEC, the research areas we explore include phase behavior, nucleation, crystallography, chemical diffusion, surface science, and opto-electronic properties, at scales ranging from microns to nanometers.
All this in a different paradigm from so-called "micro-electronics": whereas they seek to minimize the size of devices with well-understood properties, with solar cells, we seek with uniform and stable devices over many square meters!
Coming soon: article on why so-called nanotechnology took so long to achieve popular status.
Links: Materials Research Society: www.mrs.org |
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