Integrated Cooling Enhancement Technology for Power Electronics. This project aims to develop an unprecedented integrated cooling enhancement technology (IceTech) for silicon carbide on silicon power electronics. IceTech represents a radical departure from current failure-prone packaging solutions. The project aims to elucidate the fundamental interactions between magnetism, heat and mass transfer and apply them to cooling. In partnership with SPTS Technologies, the project then aims to develop ....Integrated Cooling Enhancement Technology for Power Electronics. This project aims to develop an unprecedented integrated cooling enhancement technology (IceTech) for silicon carbide on silicon power electronics. IceTech represents a radical departure from current failure-prone packaging solutions. The project aims to elucidate the fundamental interactions between magnetism, heat and mass transfer and apply them to cooling. In partnership with SPTS Technologies, the project then aims to develop fabrication processes for integrating microchannels and highly sensitive integrated silicon carbide temperature sensors into a chip. This novel fabrication technology allows for the implementation of the revolutionary enhanced cooling concept using two-phase flow with magnetic liquid plugs.Read moreRead less
Thermal Optimisation of Gigascale Solar Photovoltaics. Large-scale solar photovoltaics are critical to decarbonising the global economy. Sun Cable is developing the world’s largest solar farm in the Northern Territory, and is considering deploying the 5B MAV solar array. At this scale, temperature-induced panel efficiency losses represent a major challenge that must be overcome through thermal performance optimisation. We will build sophisticated multiscale models to simulate and understand the ....Thermal Optimisation of Gigascale Solar Photovoltaics. Large-scale solar photovoltaics are critical to decarbonising the global economy. Sun Cable is developing the world’s largest solar farm in the Northern Territory, and is considering deploying the 5B MAV solar array. At this scale, temperature-induced panel efficiency losses represent a major challenge that must be overcome through thermal performance optimisation. We will build sophisticated multiscale models to simulate and understand the multiple interacting phenomena that cause panel heating, for the first time. This project will create the tools and know-how to optimise array design and solar farm development, delivering major efficiency gains and enhancing the viability of future gigascale solar projects.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100805
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Radioisotope-powered Parallel Electron Lithography for High-throughput Nano-manufacturing. This project aims to realise rapid fabrication of controllable nano-devices over large areas with high throughput and low cost. The lack of large-size (greater than four inch) mask and ultra-low dose resist are the fundamental challenges for high-throughput radioisotope-powered parallel electron nano-lithography (RIPEL) systems. This project aims to realise a large-size RIPEL mask by using the ultra-light ....Radioisotope-powered Parallel Electron Lithography for High-throughput Nano-manufacturing. This project aims to realise rapid fabrication of controllable nano-devices over large areas with high throughput and low cost. The lack of large-size (greater than four inch) mask and ultra-low dose resist are the fundamental challenges for high-throughput radioisotope-powered parallel electron nano-lithography (RIPEL) systems. This project aims to realise a large-size RIPEL mask by using the ultra-light supporting material aerographite that has a state-of-the-art ratio value of Young's modulus to cubic density. It will also develop a new inorganic nanoparticle resist with ultra-low dose. These building blocks will enhance RIPEL's throughput by four orders of magnitude. The project will contribute to making processors or solid state storage cheaper and more efficient.Read moreRead less
Supramolecular assembly of chromophores:the effects of nucleation kinetics on their molecular packing, fibre structure and light harvesting efficiency. This project aims to reveal the effects of nucleation kinetics of chromophores on their molecular packing, fibre structure and energy transfer efficiency, which are significant to the design of low cost and lightweight materials for high efficiency solar energy harvesting. The knowledge to be acquired addresses the bottleneck governing the effici ....Supramolecular assembly of chromophores:the effects of nucleation kinetics on their molecular packing, fibre structure and light harvesting efficiency. This project aims to reveal the effects of nucleation kinetics of chromophores on their molecular packing, fibre structure and energy transfer efficiency, which are significant to the design of low cost and lightweight materials for high efficiency solar energy harvesting. The knowledge to be acquired addresses the bottleneck governing the efficiency of a class of novel materials that mimic the natural light harvesting systems. It will bring about health, economic and environmental benefits to Australia. This project will foster multidisciplinary collaborations between world class research centres.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100164
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$339,429.00
Summary
Precisely doped metal oxide nanostructures for thin film optoelectronics. This project aims to develop efficient and low-cost transparent electrodes for optoelectronic devices. Transparent electrodes are core components in devices such as solar cells, touch panel displays and LED lighting, but require scarce and costly materials and expensive deposition technologies. This project will design materials based on earth-abundant elements with precise control on doping and morphology, and develop dep ....Precisely doped metal oxide nanostructures for thin film optoelectronics. This project aims to develop efficient and low-cost transparent electrodes for optoelectronic devices. Transparent electrodes are core components in devices such as solar cells, touch panel displays and LED lighting, but require scarce and costly materials and expensive deposition technologies. This project will design materials based on earth-abundant elements with precise control on doping and morphology, and develop deposition methods which use liquid precursors to form thin transparent conductive coatings. The anticipated outcome is inexpensive and efficient optoelectronic devices with reduced carbon footprint, which will affect the consumer electronics, solar energy and smart window markets.Read moreRead less
Photonic crystals at visible wavelengths. Three dimensional sculptured nano-structures made at a very high spatial resolution will open way to control light emission, propagation, and transmission at the visible wavelengths. Optically thin and transparent solar cells will be able to harvest light using structures.
Rational Design of Novel Multiferroic Materials for Energy Harvesting and Energy Efficiency. Multiferroics are a class of fundamentally complex materials in which several ferroic orders (for example, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic) coexist. The coupling between their electric and magnetic degrees of freedom is controllable via stress and external fields, thus opening the possibility for breakthrough technological developments. By working at the frontier of complex nanostructured oxide materials ....Rational Design of Novel Multiferroic Materials for Energy Harvesting and Energy Efficiency. Multiferroics are a class of fundamentally complex materials in which several ferroic orders (for example, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic) coexist. The coupling between their electric and magnetic degrees of freedom is controllable via stress and external fields, thus opening the possibility for breakthrough technological developments. By working at the frontier of complex nanostructured oxide materials, this project aims to establish the rational basis for systematic design of novel artificially layered multiferroics, develop accurate and computationally affordable methods to simulate these materials under finite-temperature conditions, and exploit this knowledge to devise likely revolutionary photovoltaic, nanoelectronic and energy conversion applications.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100635
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,170.00
Summary
Inks for the fabrication of thin-film photovoltaic devices by solution processable deposition techniques. Due to their high cost the current generation of solar cells has had limited uptake into the market place. With the use of nanoparticle inks that can form light absorbing layers, solar cells may be fabricated cheaply in the future with solution-based manufacturing techniques, such as spray coating or printing.
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