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NanoSol – Opto-electronic properties of 3 dimensional nanostructures for use in high efficient solar cell applications

SINTEF has recently developed a method to produce 3-dimensional nanostructures of silicon and aluminum, nano-wires and nano-tunnels, using the self-organizing tendency of these two materials. These structures can potentially increase the efficiency of solar cells without increasing costs significantly.

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In addition, these structures could potentially be used in sensors, batteries, and thermoelectric elements that generate electrical power by heat. How does this self-organizing processes start, and how does these structures grow further? We'll try to find the answer by studying the phenomena at the nanometer scale. For direct observations of the atomic and electronic structure we will use state of the art instruments, such as the newly installed transmission electron microscopes within the project NORTEM co-funded by the Research Council of Norway. These investigations will be combined with optoelectronic studies in order to optimize the material for further use in solar cells or other optoelectronic devices. Special emphasis will also be given to incorporate the new material structures into systems that are currently in use.

Partners/team:  
SINTEF Materials and Chemistry: Annett Thøgersen (Project leader)
Spyros Diplas
Alexander Ulyashin
Ingvild Thue Jensen
Espen Flage-Larsen
Marit Stange
University of Oslo: Edouard Monakhov
Augustinas Galeckas
Torunn Kjeldstad (PhD student)
Ola Nilsen
   
   

News:

  • 01.12.2014: The project has officially started!
  • 09.01.2015: Kick-off meeting with all partners
  • 07.04.2015: Our PhD student Torunn Kjelstad starts
  • 05.06.2015: PhD student Torunn Kjeldstad presented a poster at the PhD day at UiO. And her poster got 3rd place!: " A new silicon nanostructure. Torunn Kjeldstad, Augustinas Galeckas, Ola Nilsen, Marit Stange and Spyros Diplas, Annett Thøgersen."
  • 10.05.2015: PhD student Torunn Kjeldstad had an interview about her project on the radio program NRK EKKO.
  • 01.09.2015: PhD student Torunn Kjeldstad had a presentation about Solar cells – Fremdeles et høyaktuelt fornybart alternativ
  • 21.09.2015: Annett Thøgersen had a presentation at the conference EuroMat in Warszawa: Electronic structure of tunable metastable aSiAl and aSiAlHx thin films. Annett Thøgersen, Marit Stange, Arne Røyset, Ingvild J.T. Jensen, Alexander Ulyashin, and Spyros Diplas.

Key facts

Project duration

2014 - 2018