DMREF: SusChEM: Collaborative Research: Rapid Design of Earth Abundant Inorganic Materials for Future PVs

DMREF：SusChEM：非技术描述：电力是美国增长最快的行业之一，全球对电力的需求也在迅速增长。对许多国家来说，它们的经济增长取决于寻找低成本和随时可用的电力供应。新的地球丰富的半导体沿着其光电性能和低成本的处理技术在这个项目中的识别将影响未来的薄膜光电子器件（PV）的制造。该项目的成功研究成果将有助于光伏作为美国和世界其他地区可持续能源经济的丰富电力来源的广泛使用。研究和教育的综合性将培养和共同指导研究生和本科生的跨学科技能，这些技能对于他们加入工作场所并为美国做出贡献时开发创新解决方案至关重要。技术说明：该项目将发展基础科学知识，从而导致识别和大规模使用由地球上丰富的元素组成的新的半导体材料，用于光电池。该项目的核心方面是其所有三个研究重点之间的密切联系：（1）通过使用第一原理计算的计算筛选，对地球上有前途的材料进行快速搜索和合理设计;（2）通过化学提供精确控制的溶液相合成有前途的材料，并测量其材料和光电性能;以及（3）制造功能性太阳能电池，并开发从第一原理估计的性质与有助于电子应用材料的“逆向设计”的器件性能之间的科学关系。计算估计和实验测量的材料和电子特性之间的持续反馈将允许在所有三个研究方向中改进方法，从而从广阔的搜索空间中快速筛选大量材料。项目工作将确定地球上最有前途的高效太阳能电池材料。

DMREF: SusChEM: Rapid Design of Earth Abundant Inorganic Materials for Future PVsNon-technical Description: Electricity is on of the fastest growing sectors in the U.S. and the worldwide demand for electricity is also on a rapid rise. For many countries, their economic growth is dependent on finding low-cost and readily available supply of electricity. Identification of new earth-abundant semiconductors along with their optoelectronic properties and low-cost processing technology in this project will influence how future thin-film photovoltaics (PV) are fabricated. The successful research outcome of the project will contrbute toward widespread use of PV as an abundant source of electricity for a sustainable energy economy in the U.S. as well as the rest of the world. The integrative nature of the research and education will train and co-mentor graduate and undergraduate students in cross-disciplinary skills that are essential for developing innovative solutions as they join the workplace and contribute to the U.S. leadership in the burgeoning field of energy. Technical Description: This project will develop the fundamental scientific knowledge that will lead to the identification and large-scale use of new semiconducting materials composed of earth-abundant elements for photovoltaics (PV). The central aspect of the project is a close coupling among all three of its research thrusts to: (1) conduct rapid search and rational design of promising earth-abundant materials through computational screening using first principles calculations; (2) synthesize promising materials by solution phase providing exquisite control through chemistry and to measure their material and optoelectronic properties; and (3) fabricate functioning solar cells and develop scientific relationship between the properties estimated from the first principles and device performance contributing toward 'inverse designs' of material for electronic applications. An ongoing feedback among computational estimates and experimentally measured material and electronic properties will allow refinement of the methods in all three research thrusts leading to rapid screening of large number of materials from a vast search space. Project efforts will identify the most promising earth-abundant materials for high efficiency solar cells.