Unveiling electron motion at surfaces and interfaces on ultrashort length and ultrafast time scales

半导体器件正在成为现代生活中越来越重要的一部分。目前，更小、更快的晶体管正在推动信息技术和人工智能的革命。此外，大面积的半导体薄膜通过高效的太阳能到电能的转换，为世界能源生产脱碳提供了一个现实的解决方案。随着晶体管特征尺寸达到纳米长度尺度，多结薄膜光伏电池提供非常高效的能源生产，表面越来越多地影响这些器件的功能。目前，在纳米尺度上观察半导体表面和界面的电学性质，且具有足够高的时间分辨率的方法很少。该奖学金将领导创造一种独特的仪器，用于理解半导体表面和界面的电学特性。扫描隧道显微镜、扫描近场光学显微镜和光泵太赫兹探针光谱学技术将结合在一个单一的仪器中，能够以前所未有的空间和时间分辨率探测材料的电学特性。在研究期间，这种新型仪器将通过揭示表面和晶界的电荷重组、捕获和降解机制来提高太阳能电池的能量转换效率和稳定性。虽然该奖学金的重点是研究用于能量转换的半导体，但在5年内，与更广泛的科学界，政府和工业界的积极参与将导致技术和仪器传播到表面科学的其他领域甚至更远。

Semiconductor devices are becoming an increasingly important part of modern life. Smaller and faster transistors are currently powering revolutions in information technology and artificial intelligence. Furthermore, large-area thin-films of semiconductors offer a realistic solution to decarbonising the world's energy production through efficient solar to electrical energy conversion. With transistor feature sizes reaching the nanometre length scale and multijunction thin film photovoltaics offering very efficient energy production, surfaces increasingly influence the function of these devices. Currently there are few methods available to observe the electrical properties of semiconductor surfaces and interfaces on nanometre length scales, with high enough time resolution. This Fellowship will lead the creation of a unique instrument for understanding the electrical properties of semiconductor surfaces and interfaces. The techniques of scanning tunnelling microscopy, scanning near-field optical microscopy and optical pump terahertz probe spectroscopy will be combined in a single instrument able to probe electrical properties of materials at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. During the fellowship the novel instrument will be exploited to improve the power conversion efficiency and stability of solar cells by revealing the mechanisms of charge recombination, trapping and degradation at surfaces and grain boundaries. While the fellowship is focussed on study of semiconductors for energy conversion, active engagement with the wider scientific community, government and industry over the 5 years will lead to dissemination of the technique and instrumentation into other areas of surface science and beyond.