Autumn School on Microstructural Characterization and Modelling of Thin Film Solar Cells
From November 2 ‐ 7, 2014, an Autumn school is organised as part of the Helmholtz Virtual Institute Microstructure Control for Thin‐Film Solar Cells
Contact: autumn.school@helmholtz-berlin.de
In research and development of solar cells, the issue of microstructure and its impact on the device performance is often regarded inadequately, mostly because of insufficient knowledge about analysis and simulation methods. Apart from the microstructural properties of completed thin films in semiconductor devices, it is also of concern how the microstructure develops during growth.
The school aims at giving insight into various techniques for microstructural analysis as well as simulation methods of the growth of crystalline materials apart from a session on electricalmaterials and device characterization. Each session will comprise a keynote lecture of an expert in the corresponding field, followed by a 2‐3 hours hands‐on tutorial, giving the participants the possibility to get deeper into the topic, with the help of a specific question to be solved in teamwork practices.
Two poster sessions are also planned as evening events, which intensify the discussions and scientific exchange between experts and participants.
- Green hydrogen: ‘Artificial leaf’ becomes better under pressureHydrogen can be produced via the electrolytic splitting of water. One option here is the use of photoelectrodes that convert sunlight into voltage for electrolysis in so called photoelectrochemical cells (PEC cells). A research team at HZB has now shown that the efficiency of PEC cells can be significantly increased under pressure.
- Green hydrogen from direct seawater electrolysis- experts warn against hypeAt first glance, the plan sounds compelling: invent and develop future electrolysers capable of producing hydrogen directly from unpurified seawater. But a closer look reveals that such direct seawater electrolysers would require years of high-end research. And what is more: DSE electrolyzers are not even necessary - a simple desalination process is sufficient to prepare seawater for conventional electrolyzers. In a commentary in Joule, international experts compare the costs and benefits of the different approaches and come to a clear recommendation.
- BESSY II shows how solid-state batteries degradeSolid-state batteries have several advantages: they can store more energy and are safer than batteries with liquid electrolytes. However, they do not last as long and their capacity decreases with each charge cycle. But it doesn't have to stay that way: Researchers are already on the trail of the causes. In the journal ACS Energy Letters, a team from HZB and Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, presents a new method for precisely monitoring electrochemical reactions during the operation of a solid-state battery using photoelectron spectroscopy at BESSY II. The results help to improve battery materials and design.