Researchers at the University of Illinois is a silicon wafer by “culture” of layers of materials, developing low-cost GaAs thin film solar cells.
GaAs is a compound semiconductor, HSTNN-CB0C can be used to produce solar cell conversion efficiency and energy than traditional silicon-based solar cells more potential.
Currently, researchers have made the conversion efficiency of 25% to 30%. However, high manufacturing costs of the technology is still a major obstacle to commercialization.
The School of Materials Science and Engineering Department of Chemistry, Professor JohnRogers and another XiulingLi teacher are looking for low cost technology to produce gallium arsenide thin film. At the same time, they also hope to find a common way to make the production of a film for a variety of devices.
production of GaAs solar cells is usually a small piece of silicon on the deposition of the compound until the surface of a thin layer. Researchers at the school changing the way the surface of silicon layers deposited on GaAs. This structure, the GaAs and AlGaAs thin layer arranged alternately, like Americans eat the same school.
‘Using this method, we can use a faster and cheaper, to get more products. ” Professor Rogers said: “Although we produce only thin, but overall speaking, we produce much more important. ”
“If a 10-layer growth can be fine, this means that 10 layers are only a thin slice,” Electrical and Computer Engineering, nikon charger , Professor Li said. “If you take 10 times the growth response, the process Reaction of the installation and removal of silicon, and after heating and cooling, need much time. If the machinery, preparation of materials, time and personal factors taken into account, our method can significantly reduce production costs. ”
The study group in the journal Nature published a paper to clarify the process can be used for three types of devices – light sensors, high speed transistors and solar cells. They will also make this material compared to other materials.
The authors, two were scientists of the company are Semprius. The company is located in North Carolina, 537626-001 , is a business objective is to use emerging technology in the study group to produce solar cells.
Theme of the study group funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation.