Understanding and controlling of photoferroelectricity for photoenergy uses. The project seeks to develop high performance photoferroelectric materials for a wide range of photoenergy conversion technologies like photovoltaics and photocatalytics. For the past 50 years, ferroelectric photovoltaics have only been an academic curiosity due to their low energy conversion efficiency relative to the popular semiconductor photovoltaics. This project aims to unlock the potential of ferroelectric photov ....Understanding and controlling of photoferroelectricity for photoenergy uses. The project seeks to develop high performance photoferroelectric materials for a wide range of photoenergy conversion technologies like photovoltaics and photocatalytics. For the past 50 years, ferroelectric photovoltaics have only been an academic curiosity due to their low energy conversion efficiency relative to the popular semiconductor photovoltaics. This project aims to unlock the potential of ferroelectric photovoltaics by introducing an ion co-substitution, which is coupled with electron-pinning, into promising ferroelectric materials and investigating the resultant photo-excited electronic and electrical properties. It is anticipated that the outcomes from this proposed project will provide a solution for optimal ferroelectric visible light absorption to achieve high power conversion efficiency in ferroelectric materials for practical photoenergy applications.Read moreRead less
Ultrathin III-V Solar Cells via Crack-Assisted Layer Exfoliation. III-V semiconductors are excellent photovoltaic materials with highest demonstrated solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies, but find limited usage in terrestrial applications due to high material and fabrication costs. This project aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of III-V solar cells by developing ultrathin III-V semiconductors via crack-assisted layer transfer approach and epitaxy-free fabrication via heterojunction ....Ultrathin III-V Solar Cells via Crack-Assisted Layer Exfoliation. III-V semiconductors are excellent photovoltaic materials with highest demonstrated solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies, but find limited usage in terrestrial applications due to high material and fabrication costs. This project aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of III-V solar cells by developing ultrathin III-V semiconductors via crack-assisted layer transfer approach and epitaxy-free fabrication via heterojunction architectures, paving the way for cost-effective, high-efficiency, flexible solar cells. The expected outcomes include a disruptive technology for integrated photovoltaics, novel contact and passivation materials, as well as new knowledge generated in materials science and optoelectronics disciplines.Read moreRead less
van der Waals epitaxy for advanced and flexible optoelectronics. This project aims to investigate the growth of compound semiconductors directly on two-dimensional material templates, via the so-called van der Waals epitaxy. Two-dimensional materials combined with compound semiconductors as optoelectronic materials can have many uses. This project expects to design flexible solar cells, which could be integrated with fabrics or building products, and lasers that need small drive currents. It wil ....van der Waals epitaxy for advanced and flexible optoelectronics. This project aims to investigate the growth of compound semiconductors directly on two-dimensional material templates, via the so-called van der Waals epitaxy. Two-dimensional materials combined with compound semiconductors as optoelectronic materials can have many uses. This project expects to design flexible solar cells, which could be integrated with fabrics or building products, and lasers that need small drive currents. It will use the Anderson localisation effect, a photon management concept, to control the interaction between photons and material and improve device efficiencies.Read moreRead less
III-V semiconductor nanowire solar cells without p-n junctions. This project proposes a new class of nanowire solar cells that do not rely on conventional electrical (p-n) junction for photo-generated charge carrier separation. Instead the band structure of the semiconductors is engineered to form a misalignment which leads to the spatial separation of carriers. This approach is expected to fundamentally change the design of solar cells, eliminating the technologically challenging need for formi ....III-V semiconductor nanowire solar cells without p-n junctions. This project proposes a new class of nanowire solar cells that do not rely on conventional electrical (p-n) junction for photo-generated charge carrier separation. Instead the band structure of the semiconductors is engineered to form a misalignment which leads to the spatial separation of carriers. This approach is expected to fundamentally change the design of solar cells, eliminating the technologically challenging need for forming good electrical junctions, while retaining all advantages inherent to III-V semiconductor nanowire solar cells. More importantly, the device concept proposed is expected to have implications for a wider class of solar cells based on exotic/novel materials or nanostructures where achieving both n- and p-doping may be challenging.Read moreRead less
Towards high performance compound semiconductor nanowire array solar cells. Semiconductor nanowires have great potential for photovoltaic applications due to their unique structural, electrical and optical properties. This project aims to establish a new research program to integrate highly sophisticated theoretical modelling, material growth and nanofabrication capabilities to develop high performance III-V compound semiconductor nanowire array solar cells. New concepts, strategies and technolo ....Towards high performance compound semiconductor nanowire array solar cells. Semiconductor nanowires have great potential for photovoltaic applications due to their unique structural, electrical and optical properties. This project aims to establish a new research program to integrate highly sophisticated theoretical modelling, material growth and nanofabrication capabilities to develop high performance III-V compound semiconductor nanowire array solar cells. New concepts, strategies and technologies developed by this project will not only advance the fundamental understanding of many intriguing physics in nanowire materials and devices, but also pave the way towards high efficiency photovoltaics to address the world’s energy-related issues. Read moreRead less
III-V Semiconductor Nanowire Solar Cells. III-V semiconductors, proven as excellent photovoltaic materials, combined with unique properties of nanowires will be investigated as new materials for third generation high efficiency solar cells. It will lead to fundamental understanding of photovoltaic mechanisms in nanowires and demonstration of nanowire solar cells for future applications.
Engineering stable, efficient perovskite solar cells. This project aims to address and resolve a critical issue facing perovskite solar cells which have enormous potential as a future technology for the large-scale generation of cheap, clean electricity: their instability under actual operating conditions. The project is expected to make significant fundamental advances in compositional, structural and interface engineering. This project will benefit the environment by paving the way for the wi ....Engineering stable, efficient perovskite solar cells. This project aims to address and resolve a critical issue facing perovskite solar cells which have enormous potential as a future technology for the large-scale generation of cheap, clean electricity: their instability under actual operating conditions. The project is expected to make significant fundamental advances in compositional, structural and interface engineering. This project will benefit the environment by paving the way for the widespread adoption of cheaper and more efficient solar cells.Read moreRead less
Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells: a pathway to 30 per cent efficiency. This project aims to develop a new type of solar cell that is much more efficient than today’s commercial silicon solar cells. Increasing cell efficiency is one of the most effective ways to reduce the cost of solar electricity, but silicon cells are approaching practical and theoretical limits. This project expects to boost the efficiency of silicon solar cells by adding a low-cost solar cell on top to create a tandem d ....Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells: a pathway to 30 per cent efficiency. This project aims to develop a new type of solar cell that is much more efficient than today’s commercial silicon solar cells. Increasing cell efficiency is one of the most effective ways to reduce the cost of solar electricity, but silicon cells are approaching practical and theoretical limits. This project expects to boost the efficiency of silicon solar cells by adding a low-cost solar cell on top to create a tandem device. The expected outcome is a solar cell that can convert more than 30 per cent of incident sunlight into electricity, compared to 20-25 per cent for current cells. Developing cheap, high efficiency solar cells should further reduce the cost of solar electricity, and accelerate the uptake of clean energy.Read moreRead less
The science and engineering of defects and impurities in photovoltaic silicon. This project will create the knowledge and techniques that are essential to make low-cost, impure silicon suitable for producing highly efficient solar cells. This will help to drive down the cost of solar electricity, since the silicon material itself is a significant component of the overall cost of most photovoltaic modules.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101368
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Silicon 2.0: The nature of grown-in defects in very high-purity silicon. This project aims to produce technologies to maximise the electronic quality of silicon and mitigate the negative impacts of defects on high-efficiency solar cells. The intended outcomes are the development of novel solar cell processes to produce defect-free silicon and new characterisation techniques to image defects in silicon wafers. This would allow high efficiency solar cells to overcome their current limits and unloc ....Silicon 2.0: The nature of grown-in defects in very high-purity silicon. This project aims to produce technologies to maximise the electronic quality of silicon and mitigate the negative impacts of defects on high-efficiency solar cells. The intended outcomes are the development of novel solar cell processes to produce defect-free silicon and new characterisation techniques to image defects in silicon wafers. This would allow high efficiency solar cells to overcome their current limits and unlock the potential of current processes to produce solar cells with efficiency above 26 per cent, providing more efficient and affordable solar electricity.Read moreRead less