Thin Film Group
- Buried Contact Group
- High Energy Efficiency Group
- 3rd Generation Photovoltaics
- Silicon Photonics
- Collaborative Research
- Facilities & Infrastructure
University Staff:
A/Prof. Armin Aberle (Group Leader)
Dr. Alistair Sproul
Technical Staff:
Dr. Bruce Beilby
Mark Griffin
Research Fellows/Associates:
Dr. Patrick Campbell
Nils-Peter Harder
Visiting Research Fellows/Associates:
Dr. Stefan Reber
Research Assistants:
Jens Birkholz
Holger Habenicht
The primary aim of the Centre’s thin-film cell group (or “second-generation group”) is to develop polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin-film solar cells on glass, an approach that is widely recognised as being a pathway towards substantially lowering the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity. Some of the projects that the thin-film group has been working on are highlighted here.
Novel Glass Texturing Method for Thin-Film PV
This project looked at a light trapping scheme for thin film solar cells. The Thin Film Group has developed and patented a promising new method of texturing glass substrates, called Aluminium-Induced Texture (AIT).
Optimisation of Aluminium-Induced Crystallisation (AIC) Poly-Si Seed Layers on Glass
This work is focused on improving AIC amorphous Si films which would make good candidates for making a poly-Si seed layer on glass. The group has developed and patented a method that produces smooth AIC films on glass.
Aluminium-Induced Crystallisation, Ion-Assisted (ALICIA) Poly-Si on Glass PV Technology
The ALICIA solar cell is a novel type of polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cell on glass. Combining the techinques of aluminium-induced crystallisation (AIC) and ion-assisted deposition (IAD) has produced films with good crystalline quality and large Poly-Si grains.
The ALICE solar cell addresses the problem of maintaining a contamination-free initial growth surface prior to the start of epitaxy.
Evaporated Silicon-based (Solid-Phase Crystallisation)SPC Poly-Si on Glass PV Technology
A poly-Si on glass solar cell technology based on SPC of evaporated amorphous silicon (a-Si).