10-07/08 :: July/August 2010

nanotimes News in Brief

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lend it a three-dimensional structure, thereby increasing considerably its surface area. This nanostructured surface is predestined for use in photovoltaic applications. The researchers expect that it will have excellent light scattering properties. This means the surface will be able to absorb significantly more sunlight and therefore be able to convert radiated energy into electricity more efficiently. In a project sup- ported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), Laetitia Philippe and her research team are developing extremely thin absorbers (ETAs) for solar cells, based these zinc oxide nanostructures.

J. Elias, C. Lévy-Clément, M. Bechelany, J. Michler, G.-Y. Wang, Z. Wang, L. Philippe: Hollow Urchin – like ZnO thin Films by Electrochemical Deposition, In: Advanced Materials, Vol. 22(2010), Issue 14, April 12, 2010, Pages 1607-1612, DOI: 10.1002/adma.200903098: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.200903098