WP Leader: Tom Markvart
WP Participants: Southampton-Solar
Energy Lab, Southampton-ECS, Northumbria, Bath, Glyndwr, LSBU, SemiMetrics
The aim of this work package will be to use advanced concepts to enhance the efficiency of devices produced in WP Technology platform. The general philosophy is to add an energy collection molecular/nanostructure system to a semiconductor solar cell. Each part of the device can then be optimised independently, leading to efficient light absorption and energy conversion within a compact device, with low material requirements and low cost.
In this workpackage, e-beam lithography will be used to investigate and experiment with highly designed structures for scientific investigations and proof of principle devices within the technology platforms. Nano-imprint lithography and self-organising techniques will be exploited to provide inexpensive manufacturable solutions for large area fabrication that will be considered within the producibility workpackage. New functional surfaces and interfaces will allow new device concepts to be explored.
New devices will separate light capture from electron-hole generation. Near field interaction between molecular structures or quantum dots will be used to enhance photoexcitation in silicon by analogy with light harvesting processes in photosynthesis. Photonic fluorescent energy collection in combination with thin crystalline photovoltaic converters can dramatically reduce the amount of semiconductor material. Photonic or plasmonic surfaces can be used to scatter light into dielectric waveguide layers and then guide the light into self-organised nano-devices. In this way a solar cell might consist of many millions of self-organised carbon nanotubes, semiconductor nanowires or semiconductor islands.
