Scanning Probe Microscopy for Fabrication and Analysis of Polymer Photovoltaics. Australian economic growth will depend increasingly on the provision of devices using materials designed at the molecular level. Scanning probe microscopy, which uses tips placed very close to surfaces to analyse or modify the surfaces with molecular precision, is an indispensible tool in designing such materials. In this project, scanning probe microscopy will be used to analyse and build structures on polymer sola ....Scanning Probe Microscopy for Fabrication and Analysis of Polymer Photovoltaics. Australian economic growth will depend increasingly on the provision of devices using materials designed at the molecular level. Scanning probe microscopy, which uses tips placed very close to surfaces to analyse or modify the surfaces with molecular precision, is an indispensible tool in designing such materials. In this project, scanning probe microscopy will be used to analyse and build structures on polymer solar cells in order to maximise the efficiency of the cells and build prototype nanoscale polymer devices. This will lead to the improvement in devices delivering sustainable energy production - a technology which has the promise of producing energy cheaply from sunlight.Read moreRead less
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
Enhancing the Understanding and Performance of Passivating TiO2 Coatings for Photovoltaic Devices. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been widely used as an antireflection coating in the silicon (Si) photovoltaics industry as it exhibits excellent optical properties and low deposition cost. However, recently manufacturers have been turning to alternatives such as hydrogenated silicon nitride coatings that exhibit greatly improved electronic properties, but cost 4 - 10 times more to deposit. This proj ....Enhancing the Understanding and Performance of Passivating TiO2 Coatings for Photovoltaic Devices. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been widely used as an antireflection coating in the silicon (Si) photovoltaics industry as it exhibits excellent optical properties and low deposition cost. However, recently manufacturers have been turning to alternatives such as hydrogenated silicon nitride coatings that exhibit greatly improved electronic properties, but cost 4 - 10 times more to deposit. This project seeks to understand the fundamental limitations behind the poor surface passivation afforded by TiO2 to a Si wafer, and subsequently develop a passivating TiO2 coating that can reduce the cost of electricity generated by Si solar cells.Read moreRead less
Mathematical modelling of dye-sensitised titania solar cells: a route to improved efficiency in production. Dye-sensitised titania solar cells (DSCs) provide a technically and economically credible alternative to silicon photovotaic devices. Increasing the efficiency of commercially produced DSCs to 12% from the current production cell efficiency of 6%,will result in significantly lower delivered energy costs than the current alternative photovoltaic devices. This project will develop a mathemat ....Mathematical modelling of dye-sensitised titania solar cells: a route to improved efficiency in production. Dye-sensitised titania solar cells (DSCs) provide a technically and economically credible alternative to silicon photovotaic devices. Increasing the efficiency of commercially produced DSCs to 12% from the current production cell efficiency of 6%,will result in significantly lower delivered energy costs than the current alternative photovoltaic devices. This project will develop a mathematical model of a DSC as a first stage in the development of a decision support capability for the manufacture of more efficient DSC's. The model will extend existing models to incorporate full transport modelling and side-reactions in the electrolyte and will be validated by experimental work.Read moreRead less
Biomolecular optoelectronic materials and devices. The melanins are the molecules in our skin, eyes and hair that provide colour and protection from the sun. In addition to being important bio-molecules, they have properties which make them useful for high tech applications especially in electronics and optoelectronics. Unfortunately, our current understanding of these fascinating materials is poor. In our project we aim to solve this limiting problem. We will develop new science to explain thei ....Biomolecular optoelectronic materials and devices. The melanins are the molecules in our skin, eyes and hair that provide colour and protection from the sun. In addition to being important bio-molecules, they have properties which make them useful for high tech applications especially in electronics and optoelectronics. Unfortunately, our current understanding of these fascinating materials is poor. In our project we aim to solve this limiting problem. We will develop new science to explain their behaviour, and use this knowledge to create bio-compatible hi-tech materials and devices. We anticipate significant benefits from the perspectives of basic science and utilisation of biomaterials for new green technologies.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the performance of thin-film photovoltaic cells via the application of luminescent down-shifting layers. Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert sunlight directly into electricity. For decades, the dominant PV technology has been based on thick, costly silicon wafers. However, due to higher energy conversion efficiencies and manufacturing processes, thin film PV cells can provide lower price than of the conventional wafer-based technologies. This project takes one of the leading thin film ....Enhancing the performance of thin-film photovoltaic cells via the application of luminescent down-shifting layers. Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert sunlight directly into electricity. For decades, the dominant PV technology has been based on thick, costly silicon wafers. However, due to higher energy conversion efficiencies and manufacturing processes, thin film PV cells can provide lower price than of the conventional wafer-based technologies. This project takes one of the leading thin film technologies and couples it with a passive optical layer, which will result in a 30% performance enhancement by overcoming internal absorption losses. It is anticipated that the increased performance will enable the thin film PV technology to be far more commercially viable and attractive for future commercialisation, and hence reduce the cost of solar power.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0883019
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Organic Solar Cells Fabrication and Characterisation Facility. This application aims to provide key support to ongoing research projects in the area of organic solar cells, which will result in (1) an increase in quality and quantity of research publications and patents (2) a vital support that will establish the grounds for future industries in Australia and (3) a national contribution to the global fight against climate change.
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