Objective The primary aim of this research project is to develop computational tools capable of assisting the design of a new nc-Si growth process with a Low Energy variant of a Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (LEPECVD) reactor, addressed at the depositio n of nc-Si films for both photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.This objective is for many aspects really at the frontier of the today knowledge of multiphase materials, and for this reason requires the involvement of different theoretical and exp erimental tools and expertises. An LEPECVD reactor is actually in full use in one of the partner's laboratories and has been already demonstrated to be a very powerful tool for high growth rate, high quality epitaxial silicon and silicon-germanium films . The modelling activities include Molecular dynamics (MD) and ab-initio calculations applied to the the simulation of the growth of nc-Si grains in a amorphous silicon (a-Si) matrix, to the evaluation of the best a-Si/ nc-Si ratio and the elastic/plas tic effects consequent to the presence of nanocrystals of silicon in the a-Si matrix and to the presence of a grain boundary phase, which could be responsible of unwanted carrier recombination processes.The computational tools will be also used to evalua te the band offset vs microstructure and strain, in view of the of the fine-tuning of the optoelectronic properties. As the computer modelling could not be granted for a complete forecasting of the role of process parameters on the local nanostructural a spects and associated physical properties, additional theoretical studies on quantum confinement will be carried out. Such theoretical studies will be based on the results of systematic measurements of optoelectronic properties of nc-Si.The development o f the computer modelling will be paralleled from the very beginning by state of the art characterization investigations and by quantum confinement studies. Fields of science natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicsoptoelectronicsagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopyelectron microscopynatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrypost-transition metalsnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids Keywords Nanotechnology Programme(s) FP6-NMP - Nanotechnologies and nanosciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and new production processes and devices: thematic priority 3 under the 'Focusing and integrating community research' of the 'Integrating and strengthening the European Research Area' specific programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) NMP-2003-3.4.2.1-2 - Modelling and design of multi-functional materials Call for proposal FP6-2003-NMP-TI-3-MAIN See other projects for this call Funding Scheme STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project Coordinator UNIVERSITY OF MILANO-BICOCCA Address Piazza dell' ateneo nuovo, 1 Milano Italy See on map Links Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITY OF KONSTANZ Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Universitaetsstrasse 10 Konstanz See on map Links Website Opens in new window POLITECNICO DI MILANO Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Piazza leonardo da vinci 32 Milano See on map Links Website Opens in new window ALMA MATER STUDIORUM- UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Via zamboni 33 Bologna See on map Links Website Opens in new window CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Piazzale aldo moro 7 Roma See on map Links Website Opens in new window MICROSHARP CORPORATION LIMITED United Kingdom EU contribution € 0,00 Address 52 shrivenham hundred, watchfield Swindon See on map Links Website Opens in new window UNIVERSITÉ PAUL CÉZANNE AIX-MARSEILLE France EU contribution € 0,00 Address Avenue robert schuman, 3 Aix-en-provence See on map Links Website Opens in new window
