Plasma-based synthesis of low-cost and environmentally friendly quantum dots with tailored energy band structure

当前的光伏(PV)技术依赖于从根本上限制太阳能电池最大效率的物理原理，即第一代和第二代技术无法产生高于31%的效率。无论是基于硅的设备还是非硅设备，都在以更低的成本提高了稳定性和设备性能，逐渐接近这一极限。因此，只有通过部署依赖于新的物理原理的技术，即所谓的第三代光伏，才能显著提高设备效率；这一点在英国和国际上的相关光伏路线图中得到了明确的强调。在第三代太阳能电池中，量子点通常是一个重要的组成部分，因此需要低成本、无毒和环境友好的方法来制备量子点。目前最高效的第三代太阳能电池使用有毒、稀有或昂贵的铅(Pb)、镉(Cd)、硒(Se)和碲(Te)等元素。本研究项目致力于从硅、氮、碳等元素和一系列低成本、无毒和丰富的金属组合中合成和研究新型、低成本、无毒和可持续的量子点。此外，这项研究将利用基于大气压等离子体的工艺来生产量子点，这种工艺非常适合产生量身定制的特性，并导致其他方法无法实现的材料成分。这些建议的等离子体工艺也可以很容易地集成到生产线上，以生产完整的第三代太阳能电池。

Current photovoltaic (PV) technologies rely on physical principles that fundamentally limit the maximum solar cell efficiency, i.e. first and second generation technologies cannot produce efficiencies above ~31%. Both silicon-based and non-silicon devices are progressively approaching this limit with improved stability and device performance at reduced costs. It follows that significant improvement in device efficiency can be achieved only by deploying technologies that rely on new physical principles, so called third generation PV; this has been clearly highlighted in relevant UK and international PV roadmaps. In third generation solar cells quantum dots (QDs) often represent an important component and therefore methods to produce QDs that are low-cost, non-toxic and environmentally friendly are required. Currently the most efficient third generation solar cells use elements such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), Selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te) which are either toxic or rare or expensive.This research program deals with the synthesis and study of novel, low-cost, non-toxic and sustainable QDs from a combination of elements such as silicon, nitrogen, carbon and a range of low-cost, non-toxic and abundant metals. Furthermore the research will produce QDs with processes based on atmospheric pressure plasmas that are highly suitable to produce tailored properties and lead to material compositions not achievable with other methods. These proposed plasma processes can also be easily integrated in manufacturing lines for the production of full third generation solar cells.