Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
Content archived on 2024-06-18

Nano-Voids in Strained Silicon for Plasmonics

Objective

The project aims at exploring the use of nanovoids and nanodots prepared as plasmonic structures to enhance the efficiency of Si single-crystalline photovoltaic (PV) devices. Fabrication and experimental investigation of plasmonic structures in strained Si/SiGe multilayered structures will be carried to enhance light harvesting in solar cells due to both near-field and far-field effects. The main idea behind the production of nanovoids and nanodots is based on the ability of compressively strained thin SiGe alloy layers, incorporated in a Si matrix during epitaxial growth, to collect small-sized molecules (H, He, C) or vacancies, induced by irradiation. Further, thermal treatment results in the formation of nano-voids which are strictly assembled within the strained SiGe layers. The following key processes will be used: Molecular beam epitaxy of strained Si/SiGe/Si structures followed by irradiation with light ions (hydrogen, carbon) and rapid thermal treatment. This structure will then be additionally used as a template for segregation and self-assembling of metallic or carbon nanodots. The fundamental investigations of the structural, optical and electronic properties of the strained Si/SiGe layers will be carried out with a range of available methods for structural, electronical and optical characterization. By placing the nanovoids and nanodots in a highly doped emitter layer close enough to the p-n-junction that the near-fields will extend into the depletion layer, the effects of near-fields will be obtained. This will give a contribution to the electron-hole pair generation, and this will be additional to the far field effects. Being formed periodically, strained layers with self-assembled nanovoids or nanodots will display fundamentally unusual electronic and optical properties. These effects have not previously been experimentally studied in a solar cell configuration. The present system offers a unique configuration for such investigation.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MC-IIFR - International incoming fellowships (Return phase)

Coordinator

BELARUSIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
EU contribution
€ 15 000,00
Address
NEZAVISIMOSTI AV 4
220050 Minsk
Belarus

See on map

Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data
My booklet 0 0