Objective Thin film solar cells, based on non-toxic, abundant and air-stable silicon (Si) will probably, based on forecasts, dominate the photovoltaic market in the future and thus replace bulk Si from its leading position. This prognosis is fostered by the strong cost reduction potential due to highly effective materials utilization at low energy consumption. However, thin film Si suffers from inherently small grains, which limits efficiencies to ~10% due to carrier recombination at grain boundaries. A radical innovation of the Si thin film materials synthesis route is needed to circumvent this problem. ROD_SOL aims at the synthesis of Si nano-rods, densely packed at sufficiently large diameters (few 100 nm's) and lengths (>1µm for sufficient carrier absorption in indirect semiconductors) directly on cheap substrates like glass or flexible metal foils. The idea is to grow Si nano-rods from the gas phase that are inherently defect free, with a wrapped around pn-junction that bares the potential to decouple absorption of light from charge transport by allowing lateral diffusion of minority carriers to the pn-junction, which is at most a few hundred nm away, rather than a few µm as in conventional thin film solar cells. That way, efficiencies as in bulk Si are expectable, however, with the advantage that the 'nano-rod carpet' layer, is at most a few µm thick. A 'nano-rod carpet' that thin shows a strongly increased optical absorption. Thus, the 'nano-rod carpet' is not only the active solar cell element but at the same time its own light trapping structure. For synthesis of the nano-rods, development of suitable contact materials and characterization of physical and structural properties four experienced research institutes have joined forces. Despite the fundamental materials research to be in focus, three companies joined the consortium to directly test and implement the novel materials and processes in a well proven, industrially viable thin film solar cell concept. Fields of science agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedsengineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and filmsnatural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivitynatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids Keywords metal oxide contacts nano-rods photovoltaic silicon thin film solar cell Programme(s) FP7-NMP - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies Topic(s) ENERGY.2008.10.1.2 - Novel materials for energy applications (Joint Call NMP) NMP-2008-2.6-1 - Novel materials for energy applications (Joint call with Energy) Call for proposal FP7-ENERGY-NMP-2008-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CP - Collaborative project (generic) Coordinator LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUER PHOTONISCHE TECHNOLOGIEN E.V. EU contribution € 403 100,00 Address Albert Einstein strasse 9 07745 Jena Germany See on map Region Thüringen Thüringen Jena, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Gabriele Hamm (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (10) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN-NUERNBERG Germany EU contribution € 323 840,00 Address SCHLOSSPLATZ 4 91054 Erlangen See on map Region Bayern Mittelfranken Erlangen, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Ulrich Winderl (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data EIDGENOSSISCHE MATERIALPRUFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT Switzerland EU contribution € 306 660,00 Address UEBERLANDSTRASSE 129 8600 Dubendorf See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Johann Michler (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data MUSZAKI FIZIKAI ES ANYAGTUDOMANYI KUTATOINTEZET - MAGYAR TUDOMANYOS AKADEMIA Hungary EU contribution € 217 320,00 Address Konkoly Thege Miklos ut 29-33 1121 BUDAPEST See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Vera Somogyi (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH Austria EU contribution € 235 028,00 Address GIEFINGGASSE 4 1210 Wien See on map Region Ostösterreich Wien Wien Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Felix Schröpfer (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT Finland EU contribution € 265 158,00 Address TEKNIIKANTIE 4 A 02044 VTT ESPOO See on map Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Outi Lindqvist (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data PICOSUN OY Finland EU contribution € 318 680,00 Address TIETOTIE 3 02150 Espoo See on map Region Manner-Suomi Helsinki-Uusimaa Helsinki-Uusimaa Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Juhana Kostamo (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data AIXTRON SE Germany EU contribution € 255 083,00 Address DORNKAULSTRASSE 2 52134 Herzogenrath See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Michael Heuken (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data BISOL, RAZVOJ, PROIZVODNJA, INZENIRING IN SVETOVANJE, DOO Slovenia EU contribution € 236 646,00 Address Latkova vas 59A 3312 PREBOLD See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Uros Merc (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data iSuppli Deutschland GmbH Germany EU contribution € 138 327,00 Address Frauenplatz 5 80331 Munich See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Maren Wicht (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYCORP Participation ended United States EU contribution No data Address EAST CALIFORNIA BOULEVARD 1200 91125 Pasadena See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Mary J. Gibson (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
