Phase segregated inorganic heterstructures for low cost, high efficiency photovoltaics

用于低成本、高效率光伏发电的相分离无机异质结构

• 批准号: 0930098
• 负责人: Stacey Bent
• 金额: $ 32.5万
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-10-01 至 2012-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0930098&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Phase; segregated; inorganic; heterstructures; low

0930098BentThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).SummaryIntellectual Merits: The development of sustainable energy solutions that will meet the needs of a growing world population, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, will rely in large part on renewable energy sources. With a global radiation flux of 174,000 TW, solar energy is a renewable resource that has the potential to provide more than enough energy to power the world. However, current solar cell designs are too expensive to be adopted for large scale application. Hence, new materials and designs for photovoltaics are urgently needed. One design that is of growing interest is a nano- or microscale heterojunction design with interdigitated semiconductor layers, in which the light absorption path length can be decoupled from the carrier diffusion path to the device junction in order to maximize the device efficiency. However, the difficulty of making such nano- or microstructures using any currently available method will drive the cost of the solar cells up, likely negating any increase in efficiency. This project proposes to investigate a novel fabrication technique and materials system that will allow nanostructured or microstructured designs for solar energy conversion to be made at lower cost. Specifically, fundamental studies into a guided self-assembly process in which selected inorganic mixtures are induced to self-organize into the desired heterostructures will be conducted. A thin film of a multicomponent mixture will be deposited that will be converted during growth or through a second simple thermal or chemical process to a three-dimensional nanostructure via self-assembly. This study will investigate the choice of materials system that will form two semiconductors of opposite polarity with optimal band and interfacial properties and will explore methods to guide the assembly process into the desired photovoltaic structure. It is expected that fundamental advances to the understanding of guided self-assembly in materials science will be made. In addition, the research has significant potential for influencing not just the photovoltaic field but also a broad range of nanoscience studies. Broader Impacts: The research promises to introduce a new approach to making photovoltaics which, if successful, could have a significant worldwide impact. Our approach has the potential to provide high-efficiency solar cells at a cost comparable to cheap window glass coating, allowing solar electricity to be competitive with that produced from coal and leading to significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the proposed program will achieve broader impacts in several key ways: (1) Teaching and training; (2) Broadening participation of underrepresented groups; (3) Disseminating research results broadly to enhance science and technological understanding; (4) Outreach to the public. The proposed project will continue building upon the important foundation of training both graduate and undergraduate students carried out by the PIs. Currently many of the students in their research groups are minority or female. Moreover, the PIs propose to engage a high school teacher from local minority-serving schools on this project in the laboratory for two summers through the Summer Program of Professional Development.

0930098 BentThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009（Public Law 111-5）.概要知识价值：可持续能源解决方案的开发将满足不断增长的世界人口的需求，同时减少温室气体排放，这将在很大程度上依赖于可再生能源。全球辐射通量为174，000 TW，太阳能是一种可再生资源，有潜力为世界提供足够的能源。然而，目前的太阳能电池设计太昂贵而不能用于大规模应用。因此，迫切需要新的光致发光材料和设计。越来越受关注的一种设计是具有叉指半导体层的纳米或微米级异质结设计，其中光吸收路径长度可以从载流子扩散路径到器件结解耦，以便使器件效率最大化。然而，使用任何目前可用的方法制造这种纳米或微米结构的困难将推动太阳能电池的成本上升，可能会抵消效率的任何提高。该项目提出研究一种新的制造技术和材料系统，该系统将允许以较低的成本制造用于太阳能转换的纳米结构或微结构设计。具体而言，将进行引导自组装过程的基础研究，其中选择的无机混合物被诱导自组织成所需的异质结构。将沉积多组分混合物的薄膜，其将在生长期间或通过第二简单的热或化学过程经由自组装转化为三维纳米结构。本研究将研究材料系统的选择，这些材料系统将形成具有最佳能带和界面特性的相反极性的两个半导体，并将探索引导组装过程进入所需光伏结构的方法。预计将在材料科学中对引导自组装的理解方面取得根本性进展。此外，这项研究不仅对光伏领域，而且对广泛的纳米科学研究都有重大的影响潜力。更广泛的影响：这项研究有望引入一种新的方法来制造光化学品，如果成功，可能会产生重大的全球影响。我们的方法有可能以与廉价窗户玻璃涂层相当的成本提供高效太阳能电池，使太阳能发电与煤炭发电竞争，并导致温室气体排放的显着减少。此外，拟议的方案将在几个关键方面产生更广泛的影响：（1）教学和培训;（2）扩大代表性不足的群体的参与;（3）广泛传播研究成果，以提高科学和技术的理解;（4）与公众的联系。拟议的项目将继续建立在由PI进行的研究生和本科生培训的重要基础上。目前，他们研究小组的许多学生是少数民族或女性。此外，项目研究所建议通过专业发展暑期方案，从当地少数民族学校聘请一名高中教师在实验室从事这一项目，为期两个暑假。