Descrizione del progetto
Aumentare l’efficienza futura delle celle solari con materiali a bassa dimensionalità
I semiconduttori monodimensionali (1D) sono materiali assorbenti promettenti per l’impiego nelle celle solari, grazie alla loro capacità unica di mostrare, se correttamente orientati, eccellenti proprietà elettriche in strati molto sottili. Il progetto SENSATE, finanziato dall’UE, svilupperà un’ampia gamma di semiconduttori 1D a larga banda come il calcogenuro, l’alogenuro e i composti misti calcogenuro/alogenuro. Secondo le previsioni, i materiali dovrebbero consentire una variazione sintonizzabile delle loro proprietà ottiche, garantendo una trasparenza ottica superiore al 50 %. Il loro impiego migliorerà anche l’efficienza complessiva di conversione delle celle solari, consentendo di raggiungere efficienze superiori al 20 %. Se avrà successo, SENSATE avrà un impatto senza precedenti sulla nostra percezione dell’energia delle celle solari, promuovendo applicazioni attualmente considerate marginali, come i dispositivi (semi)trasparenti e colorati per il fotovoltaico e l’elettronica integrati negli edifici.
Obiettivo
SENSATE proposes ground breaking ideas and concepts combining very innovative low dimensional thin film materials and highly asymmetric selective contacts with dipoles, for the development of non-intrusive and universal solar energy harvester. Materials, processes and devices design innovations will be combined in a straightforward manner, in order to develop next generation of cost-efficient and highly-stable/optically-tuneable photovoltaic (PV) devices.
For achieving this, SENSATE proposes exploiting for the first time the full optical and electrical potential of one-dimensional (1D) thin film wide bandgap materials, including chalcogenide, halide and mixed chalcogenide/halide compounds. The use of 1D semiconductors as PV absorbers will represent a breakthrough thanks to their unique capability to exhibit excellent electrical properties in very thin layers when correctly oriented, keeping at the same time tuneable optical properties to ensure good transparency (AT > 50%), and very competitive efficiencies (>20%). A wide range of wide bandgap 1D semiconductors will be developed (Eg between 1.50-2.70 eV), including strategies for their 1D texturing using annealing at high pressure and under magnetic fields.
This will be combined with disruptive selective asymmetric contacts based on electron and hole transport metal oxide layers, enhanced with superficial organic and inorganic dipoles, to develop a ubiquitous solar harvester with customized transparency/efficiency. If succeed, SENSATE will have an unprecedented impact in our perception of PV energy, opening the possibility to applications that nowadays are considered marginal. Transparent, semi-transparent and coloured devices for advanced BIPV applications and electronics, as well as top cells for very high efficiency and low cost tandem/multi-junction devices will benefit from this technology, setting the basis required for a massive PV implementation and contributing to change our energy consumption model.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energy
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryinorganic compounds
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivity
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringarchitecture engineeringsustainable architecturesustainable building
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantIstituzione ospitante
08034 Barcelona
Spagna