Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0561240
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$121,510.00
Summary
Combined reactor for the plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) of amorphous layers of silicon, silicon nitride and silicon oxide, and for Reactive Ion Etching. Our small, but very productive group (up to 30 publications per Discovery grant) has reached critical mass (8 people), and the acquisition of essential infrastructure is peremptory. Without the proposed plasma reactor our strong international impact (10 papers, one invited, at the 2003 world conference on photovoltaics) will ....Combined reactor for the plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) of amorphous layers of silicon, silicon nitride and silicon oxide, and for Reactive Ion Etching. Our small, but very productive group (up to 30 publications per Discovery grant) has reached critical mass (8 people), and the acquisition of essential infrastructure is peremptory. Without the proposed plasma reactor our strong international impact (10 papers, one invited, at the 2003 world conference on photovoltaics) will wane. This machine permits to deposit thin layers of silicon nitride and amorphous silicon and is a versatile tool for investigating silicon materials for photovoltaics and microelectronics. Such reactors have become an essential tool for silicon solar cell work. Most laboratories across the world have at least one, including UNSW, but access to the latter is impractical.Read moreRead less
Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS) and Nano-electromechanical Systems (NEMS) Technologies for Temperature Sensitive Semiconductors and Smart Materials. The development of a generic MEMS/NEMS technology will place Australia at the forefront of MEMS science and technology and will form a platform for new and innovative products using new science developed from the capabilities to be established in this project. This project and the results it will generate will have significant impact in devel ....Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS) and Nano-electromechanical Systems (NEMS) Technologies for Temperature Sensitive Semiconductors and Smart Materials. The development of a generic MEMS/NEMS technology will place Australia at the forefront of MEMS science and technology and will form a platform for new and innovative products using new science developed from the capabilities to be established in this project. This project and the results it will generate will have significant impact in developing technologies that can transform Australian industry in biomedical and agricultural instrumentation and will be key to future optoelectronic defence systems for surveillance, and chemical and biological threat warning. It will have the potential to establish new industries, as well as generate disruptive technologies directly relevant to several industry sectors already established in Australia.Read moreRead less
Photonic structures for high efficiency, low cost solar cells. Photovoltaics is a non-polluting, environmentally sustainable way of converting sunlight directly to electricity. The reduction of cost is the most important issue in photovoltaic solar energy conversion. This project will lead to the development of solar cell structures and techniques that have the potential to significantly reduce the cost of thin film solar cells, which are the major contender for the lowest cost photovoltaic te ....Photonic structures for high efficiency, low cost solar cells. Photovoltaics is a non-polluting, environmentally sustainable way of converting sunlight directly to electricity. The reduction of cost is the most important issue in photovoltaic solar energy conversion. This project will lead to the development of solar cell structures and techniques that have the potential to significantly reduce the cost of thin film solar cells, which are the major contender for the lowest cost photovoltaic technology. If the cost of photovoltaics was sufficiently reduced it could have a major impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution in Australia.Read moreRead less
Hot-swappable and High-efficient Grid-connected Power Electronics System For Photovoltaic Modules with Direct Power Transfer Technique. The project aims to increase the amount of available energy intake from photovoltaic panels, lengthen lifetime of power DC/AC inverter, reduce the amount of energy waste due to inefficient inverter by introducing new switching power converters with direct power transfer technique - bypassing part of the input power without repeatedly processing it, and using lon ....Hot-swappable and High-efficient Grid-connected Power Electronics System For Photovoltaic Modules with Direct Power Transfer Technique. The project aims to increase the amount of available energy intake from photovoltaic panels, lengthen lifetime of power DC/AC inverter, reduce the amount of energy waste due to inefficient inverter by introducing new switching power converters with direct power transfer technique - bypassing part of the input power without repeatedly processing it, and using long-life ceramic type capacitors. Development of this technology will mean reduced total cost, improved product lifetime and reduced global warming. It will lead to a reliable product that will help to put the Australian switching power converter industry into a leading position internationally in the design and manufacture of DC/AC inverters.Read moreRead less
Theoretical study and experimental verification of low cost, integrated and efficient AC/DC power supplies using time-multiplexing control. The project aims to reduce the amount of energy waste and cost due to inefficient AC/DC power supplies by introducing a novel power supply technique - combining conventional two-stage power circuits and using time-multiplexing control. Improvements in power supply efficiency and size will mean reduced total cost, improved product lifetime and reduced heating ....Theoretical study and experimental verification of low cost, integrated and efficient AC/DC power supplies using time-multiplexing control. The project aims to reduce the amount of energy waste and cost due to inefficient AC/DC power supplies by introducing a novel power supply technique - combining conventional two-stage power circuits and using time-multiplexing control. Improvements in power supply efficiency and size will mean reduced total cost, improved product lifetime and reduced heating up of the environment, leading to a reliable product that is particularly relevant to the Australian switching power supply industry. The development of this technology will help to put Australia into a leading position internationally in the design and manufacturing of AC/DC power supply.Read moreRead less
Nanostructured Silicon-Based Tandem Solar Cells. The expected outcome from the project is a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cells represent the most benign technology yet suggested for supplying the world's future ....Nanostructured Silicon-Based Tandem Solar Cells. The expected outcome from the project is a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cells represent the most benign technology yet suggested for supplying the world's future energy needs. A cleaner environment in the future than would otherwise be likely is another expected outcome as is the creation of major new opportunities for Australian industry.Read moreRead less
Fibre sensors with subwavelength features in the Terahertz radiation (T-ray) regime. With this program, Australia will benefit from expertise in photonics that will develop new chemical biosensors based on optical fibre technology. The novelty is that the fibres will be used to guide Terahertz radiation (T-ray) frequencies that will be able to detect very small samples of material or fluid. This is a fundamental step towards a system that will impact on applications in the medical, pharmaceutica ....Fibre sensors with subwavelength features in the Terahertz radiation (T-ray) regime. With this program, Australia will benefit from expertise in photonics that will develop new chemical biosensors based on optical fibre technology. The novelty is that the fibres will be used to guide Terahertz radiation (T-ray) frequencies that will be able to detect very small samples of material or fluid. This is a fundamental step towards a system that will impact on applications in the medical, pharmaceutical, forensic, and security industries. Ultimately, Australia will benefit from a new cutting-edge technology and a new diagnostic biosensing technique.Read moreRead less
A modelling challenge: bridging the gap between molecular and neuronal networks. We will develop innovative frameworks, which unify small-scale molecular activity with electrical signals in branches of brain cells. This research aims to enhance our understanding how molecular scale phenomena influence brain disease, via studying the model dynamics using cutting-edge techniques on a supercomputer. The socio-economic benefits to Australia include: (i) Enhancing Australia's international reputation ....A modelling challenge: bridging the gap between molecular and neuronal networks. We will develop innovative frameworks, which unify small-scale molecular activity with electrical signals in branches of brain cells. This research aims to enhance our understanding how molecular scale phenomena influence brain disease, via studying the model dynamics using cutting-edge techniques on a supercomputer. The socio-economic benefits to Australia include: (i) Enhancing Australia's international reputation for cutting-edge multidisciplinary research; (ii) international collaborations will be strengthened; (iii) outcomes will potentially lead to commercialisation opportunities; (iv) results will ultimately lay the foundations to explore the cellular and molecular origin of brain disorders.Read moreRead less
Innovative Grid-Connected, Small-Scale Wind Turbine Generators Offering Low Cost and Wide Operating Speed Range. Growing concerns about sustainability issues with fossil fuels have resulted in strong interest in wind power worldwide. Grid-connected inverters are an efficient way of utilising small wind turbines on domestic, farming or small commercial properties which have access to the power grid. Existing small-scale, grid-connected wind turbines are expensive and have a limited operating wind ....Innovative Grid-Connected, Small-Scale Wind Turbine Generators Offering Low Cost and Wide Operating Speed Range. Growing concerns about sustainability issues with fossil fuels have resulted in strong interest in wind power worldwide. Grid-connected inverters are an efficient way of utilising small wind turbines on domestic, farming or small commercial properties which have access to the power grid. Existing small-scale, grid-connected wind turbines are expensive and have a limited operating wind speed range. We are investigating new designs for low-cost wind turbine generators which can produce power over a wide range of wind speeds. The project should result in a greater application of small-scale wind generators in Australia and will lead to reductions in fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions.Read moreRead less
Development of polycrystalline silicon thin-film photovoltaic devices on glass. This project addresses a range of key issues relevant to crystalline silicon solar cells bound by the common feature of reducing the cost of solar photovoltaic electricity by fabricating thin films of good-quality polycrystalline silicon on cheap glass substrates. The project is significant because thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cells on glass can dramatically lower the cost of solar electricity. However, ....Development of polycrystalline silicon thin-film photovoltaic devices on glass. This project addresses a range of key issues relevant to crystalline silicon solar cells bound by the common feature of reducing the cost of solar photovoltaic electricity by fabricating thin films of good-quality polycrystalline silicon on cheap glass substrates. The project is significant because thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cells on glass can dramatically lower the cost of solar electricity. However, at present such cells are not yet produced industrially. This project is expected to lead to major scientific/technical advances with this hugely promising power generation technology, and to bring forward the industrial mass production of these urgently needed devices.Read moreRead less