Plasma-based synthesis of low-cost and environmentally friendly quantum dots with tailored energy band structure

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry)
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr D Mariotti
Nanotechnology and Adv Materials Inst
University of Ulster

Standard

EPSRC

27 July 2015

30 September 2019

50 months

£419,837

Energy

Northern Ireland

Energy : Energy

Dr D Mariotti, Nanotechnology and Adv Materials Inst, University of Ulster

Professor P Maguire, Nanotechnology and Adv Materials Inst, University of Ulster

Project Contact, Sharp Laboratories of Europe Ltd
Project Contact, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), USA
Project Contact, University of Ulster
Project Contact, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
Project Contact, New College Lanarkshire

Current photovoltaic (PV) technologies rely on physical principles that fundamentally limit the maximum solar cell efficiency, i.e. first and second generation technologies cannot produce efficiencies above ~31%. Both silicon-based and non-silicon devices are progressively approaching this limit with improved stability and device performance at reduced costs. It follows that significant improvement in device efficiency can be achieved only by deploying technologies that rely on new physical principles, so called third generation PV; this has been clearly highlighted in relevant UK and international PV roadmaps. In third generation solar cells quantum dots (QDs) often represent an important component and therefore methods to produce QDs that are low-cost, non-toxic and environmentally friendly are required. Currently the most efficient third generation solar cells use elements such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), Selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te) which are either toxic or rare or expensive. This research program deals with the synthesis and study of novel, low-cost, non-toxic and sustainable QDs from a combination of elements such as silicon, nitrogen, carbon and a range of low-cost, non-toxic and abundant metals. Furthermore the research will produce QDs with processes based on atmospheric pressure plasmas that are highly suitable to produce tailored properties and lead to material compositions not achievable with other methods. These proposed plasma processes can also be easily integrated in manufacturing lines for the production of full third generation solar cells

20/08/15