Objective
Property transformation of grain boundaries (ProGB) is a challenge and a big opportunity. Besides being indispensable in many semiconductor compounds, grain boundaries (GBs) are found to be often detrimental in most bulk and thin-film solar cells limiting devices’ efficiency. This is because understanding how the detrimental properties can be intentionally transformed remains difficult and often impossible. Therefore, ProGB aims to understand and even transform the GBs properties on the nanoscale by employing a novel approach. This approach consists of three steps with three objectives. (1) It will explore the GBs' intrinsic properties and the properties transformation down to the nanoscale in semiconductor prototypes through a new platform specially developed for GB characterization. It will (2) understand the impact of GBs’ structure and stoichiometry on the electronic properties down to the nanoscale and (3) utilize the experimental evidence and the concepts gained to obtain high-performance photovoltaic and electronic devices.
Finally, ProGB will employ a unique infrastructure that will be implemented and established in the PI’s team. It will apply atom probe tomography as a principal technique to determine the composition of GBs in Si (as a typical prototype material) and in AgBiS2 (as a novel material for ultrathin-film solar cell applications), combined with techniques to determine the materials’ electronic and structural properties on exactly the same position on the sample. In this way, ProGB can realize a true 1:1:1 correlation with unprecedented precision in material characterization. These experimental observations will be consolidated by theoretical simulations and device modeling.
Last but not least, the outcome of ProGB will rescue thin-film technology with polycrystalline absorbers and will be of big benefit to the latest technologies such as tandem and ultrathin-film solar cells.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds
- natural sciences physical sciences electromagnetism and electronics semiconductivity
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
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.
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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
79098 Freiburg
Germany
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.