P-N and P-i-N junction silicon microwire arrays for solar energy conversion

用于太阳能转换的 P-N 和 P-i-N 结硅微线阵列

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-04965
• 负责人: Oliver, Derek
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of Manitoba
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=661186
• 关键词: junction; silicon; microwire; arrays; solar

Annual global energy demands are projected to rise by roughly a quarter between now and 2040 (International Energy Outlook, Sept 2017, Dept. of Energy, USA). Renewable energy sources and reliable energy storage are critical to meeting these energy needs in northern, remote areas of Canada and worldwide. Alternatives to renewing or building costly infrastructure, especially nuclear installations, are desirable. Sunlight is the principal renewable energy resource - in a handful of hours the total solar energy incident on the globe exceeds our annual energy demands. Despite great strides in photovoltaic and battery technology, increasing energy storage density and reducing cost remain challenges. In addition, the raw materials for these technologies rely heavily on highly-restricted supply chains. Harnessing and storing solar energy in chemical bonds represents a compelling quest that resolves the issue of energy storage density. Using earth-abundant materials to capture solar energy enacts the most basic tenets of resource stewardship while benefitting remote (northern) and developing communities.******The research in this proposal will develop key technologies for solar-based fuel generation: storing energy in the simplest chemical bond (hydrogen) or converting carbon dioxide into a useable fuel. Using a variant of chemical vapor deposition, earth-abundant silicon will be used to fabricate high-fidelity single-crystal microwires with excellent performance characteristics at low cost. My team will fabricate multicomponent silicon microwires that incorporate a transition from a boron-doped region to a phosphorus-doped region. The electrical characteristics of this transition region will open up new design pathways for prototype solar fuel generation components. When integrated into a solar collector, these new silicon microwires will absorb energy from sunlight and drive a chemical reaction, such as splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen gas or reducing carbon dioxide into a carbon fuel. Ultimately, these new solar-powered fuel generating devices will address critical energy needs, particularly in developing and remote communities.

从现在到2040年，全球年度能源需求预计将增加约四分之一（国际能源展望，2017年9月，美国能源部，2017年12月）。能源，美国）。可再生能源和可靠的能源储存对于满足加拿大北方和偏远地区以及全球的能源需求至关重要。最好有其他办法来取代更新或建造昂贵的基础设施，特别是核设施。阳光是主要的可再生能源--在几个小时内，地球仪上的太阳能总量就超过了我们每年的能源需求。尽管光伏和电池技术取得了巨大进步，但增加储能密度和降低成本仍然是挑战。此外，这些技术的原材料严重依赖高度受限的供应链。利用和储存化学键中的太阳能是解决能量储存密度问题的迫切要求。利用地球上丰富的材料来捕获太阳能，制定了资源管理的最基本原则，同时使偏远（北方）和发展中社区受益。该提案中的研究将开发太阳能燃料发电的关键技术：将能量储存在最简单的化学键（氢）中或将二氧化碳转化为可用的燃料。使用化学气相沉积的变体，地球上丰富的硅将用于以低成本制造具有优异性能特性的高保真单晶微丝。我的团队将制造多组分硅微线，其中包括从硼掺杂区域到磷掺杂区域的过渡。这个过渡区的电气特性将为原型太阳能燃料发电组件开辟新的设计途径。当集成到太阳能集热器中时，这些新的硅微丝将从太阳光中吸收能量并驱动化学反应，例如将水分解为氢气和氧气，或将二氧化碳还原为碳燃料。最终，这些新的太阳能燃料发电设备将满足关键的能源需求，特别是在发展中国家和偏远社区。