Project Description

In this project, we seek to explore the synthesis of novel high efficiency solar cell materials and significant improvement of light absorption via surface nanostructuring via ultrafast laser. Semiconducting organic–inorganic metal halide perovskites have recently attracted intense research interest because of the rapid rise in efficiency of solar cells based on these materials. In the past few years, perovskite solar cells have demonstrated efficiency approaching 22%, surpassing that of dye-sensitized, organic, and amorphous silicon solar cells. These hybrid organic-inorganic semiconductors are highly promising alternatives to silicon because they can be manufactured by simple solution processing and scalable vapor phase deposition methods with abundant starting materials. The high efficiency of perovskite solar cells has been attributed to long carrier lifetimes, long carrier diffusion lengths, and exceptional defect tolerance. We seek to improve the light absorption efficiency (close to 95%) by creating nanostructures on the surface by an ultrafast laser. The ultrafast-based surface structuring method is not only fast and involves much lower costs compared with the current used anti-reflective coating methods. Through this novel combination of high efficiency material and light trapping surfaces will result in significantly improved solar cells with the small footprint and lower cost. 

Start Date

August 1, 2019

Postdoc Qualifications

Solar cell fabrication, ultrafast laser surface texturing

Co-advisors

Dr. Yung C. Shin, School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, shin@purdue.edu

Dr. Libai Huang, Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, libai-huang@purdue.edu 

References