MRI: Development of a Scanning Probe Microscopy Tool to Study Nanoscale Photoactivated Processes

0923115 BommisettySouth Dakota State U.“该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。“技术总结：了解光伏材料的纳米结构与光电性能之间的关系对于提高太阳能电池的效率具有重要意义。几种实验工具可以独立地测量纳米尺度的形貌和光电特性。拟议的努力旨在开发一种扫描探针显微镜工具，可以同时测量地形和光电特性，从而提供连接这两个数量所需的关键信息。该工具测量的地形，表面电位，表面光电压（SPV）和SPV光谱与纳米空间分辨率。这些测量有助于以高空间分辨率估计纳米结构光伏材料中的少数载流子扩散长度和载流子寿命，这对于理解Gen-2和Gen-3太阳能电池中的电荷传输过程至关重要。这一工具将加强提案组？该公司与工业伙伴合作，其需求集中在太阳能电池的改进上，从而促进区域经济增长。拟议的工具将为来自SDSU和该州其他研究型大学的几名研究生和本科生提供强有力的跨学科培训，为该地区提供高技能人力。与安捷伦公司SPM部门的拟议合作具有很大的潜力，可以开发成一种商业产品，为研究界带来更广泛的利益。拟议的努力也会加强PI？美国政府支持吸引代表性不足的群体（美洲原住民和妇女）接受高等教育，特别是科学和工程教育。通俗地说：开发低成本的太阳能电池技术，可以有效地将太阳光转化为能源，对国家能源独立和环境保护非常重要。目前的太阳能电池是基于高质量的晶体硅，价格昂贵。通过开发能够有效地将太阳光转换为能量的新技术，可以显著降低太阳能转换的成本。低成本光伏技术的发展，如有机太阳能电池，染料敏化太阳能电池，薄膜太阳能电池，需要在纳米级光电性能和相关的电荷传输过程的基本理解显着改善。提出的扫描探针显微镜工具测量形貌和光电性能与纳米级分辨率。这些数据将帮助南达科他州的几个研究小组开发新型太阳能电池。拟议的工具将有助于加快新的光伏材料的开发，并加强在SDSU电气工程博士课程，并介绍了一个新的多学科课程。拟议的努力包括几个推广方案，以扩大美洲土著人和妇女在SDSU高等教育的参与。

0923115BommisettySouth Dakota State U."This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."Technical Summary: Fundamental understanding of relationship between nanoscale structure and optoelectronic properties of photovoltaic materials is important to improve the efficiency of solar cells. Several experimental tools can measure the nanoscale topography and optoelectronic properties independently. The proposed effort aims to develop a scanning probe microscopy tool that can measure both topographical and optoelectronic properties simultaneously, thereby providing critical information needed to connect these two quantities. The proposed tool measures the topography, surface potential, surface photovoltage (SPV) and SPV spectroscopy with nanometer spatial resolution. These measurements help estimating the minority carrier diffusion length and carrier life time with high spatial resolution in nanostructured photovoltaic materials that is critical to understand charge transport processes in Gen-2 and Gen-3 solar cells. This tool will strengthen the proposing group?s collaboration with industrial partners, whose needs are focused on improvement in solar cells, thereby facilitating regional economic growth. The proposed tool will provide strong interdisciplinary training to several graduate and undergraduate students from SDSU and other research universities in the state, providing highly skilled manpower in the region. The proposed collaborative effort with the SPM division of Agilent Inc has strong potential to develop into a commercial product that will have much broader benefits to the research community. Proposed effort will also strengthen the PI?s support for attracting under-represented groups (Native Americans and women) into higher education, specifically in science and engineering.Layman Summary: Development of low cost solar cells technologies that can efficiently convert sun light into energy is important for national energy independence and environmental protection. Current solar cells are based on high quality crystalline silicon and are expensive. Significant reduction in the cost of solar energy conversion can be achieved by developing new technologies that can efficiently convert the sunlight into energy. Development of low cost photovoltaic technologies, such as organic solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, thin film solar cells, require significant improvement in the fundamental understanding of nanoscale optoelectronic properties and associated charge transport processes. Proposed scanning probe microscope tool measures topography and optoelectronic properties with nanoscale resolution. This data will help several research groups within the state of South Dakota to develop novel solar cells. Proposed tool will help accelerating the development of new photovoltaic materials and strengthens the PhD program in electrical engineering at SDSU and introduces a new multidisciplinary course. Proposed effort includes several outreach programs to broaden the participation of Native Americans and women in higher education at SDSU.