Student research opportunities
Photoluminescence spectroscopy of defects in silicon solar cells
Project Code: CECS_804
This project is available at the following levels:
PhD
Please note that this project is only for higher degree (postgraduate) applicants.
Keywords:
silicon, solar cells, defects, photoluminescence
Supervisor:
Assoc Professor Daniel MacdonaldOutline:
This project will study the emission of sub-band-gap luminescence from silicon wafers used for making solar cells. Such sub-band-gap emission, usually measured at low temperature (around 80K), contains valuable information about the type of defects present in a wafer. However, the potential applications of such techniques to solar cells have not been exploited to date. We have recently acquired an optical spectroscopy system that is very well-suited to such measuremnts. This project will study the correlation of the emission lines with the presence of various defects, such as dislocations, and their response to cell processing steps such as dopant diffusion and hydrogentation.
Goals of this project
- To understand the origins of sub-band-gap emission lines in silicon wafers for solar cells.
- To study their resposne to various cell processing steps such as diffusion and hydrogenation.
Requirements/Prerequisites
A sound understanding of semiconductor physics.
Student Gain
Exposure to state-of-the-art characterisation techniques for solar cells, and an understanding of the most importnat issues for the manufacture of efficient and cost-effective silicon solar cells.
