Dilute Nitride Type II Quantum Dot Materials for Solar Cells based on GaAs - Collaborative Research in Energy with South Africa

开发用于清洁能源生产的高效、经济的太阳能电池是一项重大的全球挑战，在这项提案中，我们正在寻求在制造新型量子点材料方面取得突破，这些材料能够大幅提高基于GaAs的III-V太阳能电池的性能。我们提出了一个密切的合作项目与南非的纳尔逊曼德拉都市大学，谁在光伏电池的互补专业知识，开发和表征迄今未开发的GaSbN/GaNAs II型量子点材料。这些应变补偿的稀氮化物量子点将在原型GaAs基太阳能电池的有源区内实现，以显著扩展光谱响应并提高效率。这将导致新一代太阳能电池的清洁发电。来自器件研究的反馈将为这些独特纳米结构的光伏特性提供有价值的见解，进一步帮助材料优化。我们将在这里开发的量子点材料既可以用于提高单结电池的效率，也可以并入现有的多结电池中，以取代昂贵的Ge衬底，降低成本并显着提高性能。南非和英国都有明显的机会吸收这项技术。

The development of efficient, affordable solar cells for clean energy production is a major global challenge and in this proposal we are seeking to achieve a breakthrough in the fabrication of novel quantum dot materials capable of substantially improving the performance of III-V solar cells based on GaAs. We propose a close collaborative project with Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa, who have complementary expertise in photovoltaic cells, to develop and characterize hitherto unexplored GaSbN/GaNAs type-II quantum dot materials. These strain-compensated, dilute-nitride quantum dots will be implemented within the active region of prototype GaAs based solar cells to significantly extend the spectral response and improve the efficiency. This would lead to a new generation of solar cells for clean electricity generation. Feedback from device studies will provide valuable insight into the photovoltaic properties of these unique nanostructures, further aiding material optimization. The quantum dot materials that we shall develop here could either be used to increase efficiency in single junction cells, or could be incorporated into existing multi-junction cells to replace expensive Ge substrates, reduce cost and significantly increase performance. There are clear opportunities for uptake of the technology both within South Africa and the UK.