Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0237874
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$424,000.00
Summary
Active Polymer Research Facility. Sustainable economic growth for Australia requires renewable, environmentally acceptable energy resources. Solar cells made from conducting polymers present the tantalising possibility of producing cheap electricity from sunlight. Future development of these devices depends critically upon ready access to the advanced equipment necessary to investigate their material, device and photovoltaic characteristics. This project aims to establish the first integrated ch ....Active Polymer Research Facility. Sustainable economic growth for Australia requires renewable, environmentally acceptable energy resources. Solar cells made from conducting polymers present the tantalising possibility of producing cheap electricity from sunlight. Future development of these devices depends critically upon ready access to the advanced equipment necessary to investigate their material, device and photovoltaic characteristics. This project aims to establish the first integrated characterisation facility in Australia dedicated to developing efficient polymer solar cells. The Active Polymer Research Facility will allow researchers from Newcastle, Wollongong and Massey University to maintain their position at the forefront of international research into polymer photovoltaic devices.Read moreRead less
Plastic Solar Cells: Polymers that Harvest Sunlight. Sustainable economic growth for Australia requires renewable, environmentally acceptable energy resources. The most attractive option for the future generation of electrical energy is via the direct conversion of sunlight. The utilisation of solar energy has significant advantages over other energy sources in that it is inexhaustible and does not produce carbon dioxide or other pollutants. Conventional photovoltaic technology is not cost effe ....Plastic Solar Cells: Polymers that Harvest Sunlight. Sustainable economic growth for Australia requires renewable, environmentally acceptable energy resources. The most attractive option for the future generation of electrical energy is via the direct conversion of sunlight. The utilisation of solar energy has significant advantages over other energy sources in that it is inexhaustible and does not produce carbon dioxide or other pollutants. Conventional photovoltaic technology is not cost effective. Solar cells made from conducting polymers present the tantalising possibility of producing cheap electricity from sunlight. This project brings together experts in the physics and chemistry of conducting polymers with the goal of developing efficient plastic solar cells.Read moreRead less
Minimising charge carrier recombination at silicon surfaces with improved dielectric coatings. The project will help to develop a vibrant PV industry in Australia, creating substantial employment opportunities. Spark Solar - one of the project partners - is the first dedicated PV manufacturer in Australia. There is a large and rapidly expanding overseas export market for solar panels. In addition, the large scale deployment of photovoltaic systems will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ....Minimising charge carrier recombination at silicon surfaces with improved dielectric coatings. The project will help to develop a vibrant PV industry in Australia, creating substantial employment opportunities. Spark Solar - one of the project partners - is the first dedicated PV manufacturer in Australia. There is a large and rapidly expanding overseas export market for solar panels. In addition, the large scale deployment of photovoltaic systems will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thus mitigate the magnitude and severity of the effects of global warming. Read moreRead less
The development of inexpensive negatively charged films to increase the efficiency of commercial solar cells. This project aims to reduce the cost of solar electricity by developing inexpensive, negatively charged dielectric films. When deposited on the surfaces of commercial solar cells, these films will significantly increase cell efficiency, thereby producing more power from a given area.
Spins in Organic Semiconductors. This project aims to understand the role that the quantum mechanical property of spin plays in the operation of electronic devices based on organic semiconductors, which will contribute to the design of better, more efficient devices. We will also investigate fundamental physics questions in organic material - the knowledge gained may be used to develop organic electronic devices with new, useful properties. Organic electronics are a growing industry and this res ....Spins in Organic Semiconductors. This project aims to understand the role that the quantum mechanical property of spin plays in the operation of electronic devices based on organic semiconductors, which will contribute to the design of better, more efficient devices. We will also investigate fundamental physics questions in organic material - the knowledge gained may be used to develop organic electronic devices with new, useful properties. Organic electronics are a growing industry and this research will enhance Australia's role in their development and commercialization. Improving the efficiency of organic lighting emitting devices will reduce Australia's energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, as lighting represents a significant fraction of our energy usage.Read moreRead less
Nonlinear Optical Metrology of Electronic Interfaces for Silicon Devices. This project aims to develop a prototype electric field induced second harmonic generation metrology setup for studying thin film dielectric interfaces on silicon in partnership with Femtometrix. The quality of these silicon-dielectric interfaces, which are affected by trapped charges and defects, are critical for microelectronic and optoelectronic device manufacturing. Through several proposed methodologies to separate th ....Nonlinear Optical Metrology of Electronic Interfaces for Silicon Devices. This project aims to develop a prototype electric field induced second harmonic generation metrology setup for studying thin film dielectric interfaces on silicon in partnership with Femtometrix. The quality of these silicon-dielectric interfaces, which are affected by trapped charges and defects, are critical for microelectronic and optoelectronic device manufacturing. Through several proposed methodologies to separate the effect of interface and bulk signals, it is expected that the sensitivity of the prototype setup will exceed the previous record of 1 kV/cm. This metrology technique will be further expanded for applicability to silicon photovoltaics, specifically passivating contacts which cannot be studied via conventional techniques.Read moreRead less
Revealing the atoms that control performance in photoactive perovskites. This project aims to develop new electron microscopy techniques that will unambiguously determine the elusive structures of photoactive perovskite compounds under static and operational conditions, while correlating crystal structure with solar cell device performance. Photoactive perovskites are promising photovoltaic materials, however, many are sensitive to air and irradiation. This has impeded a huge international resea ....Revealing the atoms that control performance in photoactive perovskites. This project aims to develop new electron microscopy techniques that will unambiguously determine the elusive structures of photoactive perovskite compounds under static and operational conditions, while correlating crystal structure with solar cell device performance. Photoactive perovskites are promising photovoltaic materials, however, many are sensitive to air and irradiation. This has impeded a huge international research effort to determine their structure reliably at the atomic scale. With these new techniques applied to leading compounds and devices, it is expected this project will reveal the structural effects controlling electrical properties and device performance and so enable the design of superior perovskite photovoltaics.Read moreRead less
Unlocking the potential of n-type silicon for solar cells. This project will lead to an improved understanding of impurities in silicon, especially several emerging low-cost n-type silicon materials made especially for solar cells. This knowledge will enable the negative effects of these impurities to be eliminated or reduced, thus yielding higher efficiency modules that produce solar electricity at a lower cost. The potential benefits to Australia, which already has an established silicon solar ....Unlocking the potential of n-type silicon for solar cells. This project will lead to an improved understanding of impurities in silicon, especially several emerging low-cost n-type silicon materials made especially for solar cells. This knowledge will enable the negative effects of these impurities to be eliminated or reduced, thus yielding higher efficiency modules that produce solar electricity at a lower cost. The potential benefits to Australia, which already has an established silicon solar cell industry, are large. They include increased employment in well-paid high-technology jobs, increased export earnings, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. These benefits could grow rapidly, in line with the global photovoltaic industry growth rate of more than 30% per year.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100320
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Increasing efficiency in tandem silicon-perovskite solar cells. This project aims to increase the efficiency of silicon solar cells. Organo-halide perovskites semiconductors will improve crystalline silicon’s single-junction solar cell efficiency from its current ~25% record to the theoretical limit of 30% at an affordable cost for the market. This project will integrate organo-halide perovskite semiconductors with silicon cells in a tandem solar cell, a structure that harvests sunlight more eff ....Increasing efficiency in tandem silicon-perovskite solar cells. This project aims to increase the efficiency of silicon solar cells. Organo-halide perovskites semiconductors will improve crystalline silicon’s single-junction solar cell efficiency from its current ~25% record to the theoretical limit of 30% at an affordable cost for the market. This project will integrate organo-halide perovskite semiconductors with silicon cells in a tandem solar cell, a structure that harvests sunlight more efficiently. This project should lead to the development of solar cells with state-of-the-art efficiencies greater than 30% at an affordable cost for the energy market.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL120100038
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,645,586.00
Summary
Understanding and controlling the properties of Dirac electronic materials. This project will gain deep insights into a new class of materials that includes graphene, the thinnest possible plane of carbon. New electronic properties will be engineered in Dirac materials to make them valuable for applications in computing, sensors, and solar power generation.