GOALI: Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells on Plastic Substrates

光伏能源转换是未来世界的重要产业？S能量系统。目前全球产量超过2.5吉瓦/年，每年增长超过40%。目前的行业大约91%是基于晶体硅的使用，而硅晶片的高成本和不断增加的成本阻碍了该行业的增长。智力优势：该GOALI项目专注于开发低成本、高性能的太阳能光伏技术，该技术基于沉积在聚合物衬底上的薄膜硅，采用革命性的器件架构。该提案提出了一种替代薄膜硅技术，该技术可以实现与厚晶硅相似的性能水平，同时仅使用1-2微米的厚度。提出的工作重点是研究新的器件架构，包括使用非晶/晶体超晶格，光子带隙结构和新的材料生长技术来实现薄膜硅的更高性能。更广泛的影响：该项目涉及与致力于聚合物太阳能电池的美国领先公司PowerFilm Solar的强有力合作。该项目将为研究生和本科生提供研究和教育机会。

Photovoltaic energy conversion is an important industry for the future of the world?s energy system. The current production volume worldwide is over 2.5 GW/year, growing at over 40% per year. The current industry is based approximately 91% on the use of crystalline Si, and the growth of the industry has been hampered by the high and increasing cost of Si wafers. Intellectual Merit: This GOALI program focuses on developing low cost, high performance solar photovoltaic technology based on thin film Si deposited on polymer substrates, using a transformative device architecture. This proposal addresses an alternative thin film silicon technology that can achieve a level of performance similar to that of thick crystalline silicon , while using only 1-2 micrometer thicknesses. The proposed work focuses on the investigation of novel device architectures including use of amorphous/crystalline superlattices, photonic bandgap structures and new material growth techniques to achieve higher performance in thin film silicon. Broader Impact: The program involves a strong collaboration with PowerFilm Solar, the leading U. S. company working on polymer based solar cells. The program will offer research and educational opportunities to both graduate and undergraduate students.