news digest ♦ Solar
Thin-film interference is a problem for devices that use multiple layers of thin films, like thin-film solar cells. because it means that some wavelengths of light are being reflected - or “lost,” at every film interface.
The more thin films a device has, the more interfaces there are, and the more light is lost.
“We were inspired by the surface structure of a moth’s eye, which has evolved so that it doesn’t reflect light,” says Chih-Hao Chang, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper on the research.
“By mimicking that concept, we’ve developed a nanostructure that significantly minimises thin-film interference.”
The nanostructures are built into thin films that will have a second thin film placed on top of them. The nanostructures are an extension of the thin film beneath them, and resemble a tightly-packed forest of thin cones. These nanostructures are “interfacial,” penetrating into whatever thin film is layered on top of them and limiting the amount of light reflected at that interface.
Chang’s team found that the an interface featuring the interfacial nanostructures reflects 100 times less light than an interface of thin films without the nanostructures.
“Our next steps are to design a solar device that takes advantage of this concept and to determine how we can scale it up for commercial applications,” Chang says.
Further details of this work have been published in the article, “Antireflection Effects at Nanostructured Material Interfaces and the Suppression of Thin-Film Interference,” by Qiaoyin Yanget al, Nanotechnology 2013, 24 235202 doi:10.1088/0957- 4484/24/23/235202
The research was supported by a NASA Early Career Faculty Award and the National Science Foundation’s ASSIST Engineering Research Centre at NC State.
Cleantech expert joins CIGS innovator XsunX
The new appointment will strengthen the firm’s CIGS technological and business capabilities
XsunX, Inc. the developer of CIGSolar, a patent-pending technology for the mass production of CIGS solar cells has recruited John R. Tuttle to the the company’s Advisory Board.
142
www.compoundsemiconductor.net June 2013
“John’s extensive entrepreneurial background and comprehensive knowledge of the Cleantech industry is the perfect addition to XsunX at just the right time,” says XsunX CEO, Tom Djokovich.
Over the last several years, the company has been developing its CIGSolar technology while navigating the solar industry-wide restructuring. Recently XsunX began its transition from focusing on its CIGSolar baseline system design and build-out to marketing of its CIGSolar® technology. The next logical step was the addition of a seasoned industry innovation and business development veteran to aid in this transition and further development of XsunX’s business relationships with customers and investors.
“There’s been a paradigm shift occurring at virtually every level of the solar industry including, and most significantly, how business, the capital markets, and project finance assess the value of the solar industry as a whole and, more specifically, the value of any particular technology,” adds Djokovich.
“Our current requirement was to find someone with world-class CIGS experience and someone who could also “think outside of the box” - or in the CIGS business - outside of the vacuum chamber to commercialize technology. Dr. Tuttle’s years of noteworthy experience at NREL elevating the science and capabilities of CIGS, and his experience transitioning innovation into operational results provides XsunX with the hands- on capabilities that we were looking for,” concludes Djokovich.
Tuttle brings 30 years of experience in the semiconductor & photovoltaic industries to XsunX, and for the last several years has focused on assisting with operational and capital management of early- stage companies in the Cleantech sector. Previously, he was the co-founder, Chief Executive & Chairman of DayStar Technologies, Inc. where he took the company from 3 employees to an operational organization with world-class development and pilot production facilities, achieving an over 900% value creation for its IPO shareholders.
From 1986-1997, Tuttle held the position of Senior Scientist at NREL where his research guided the fabrication of thin-film CIGS PV devices with multiple world-record efficiencies. He has authored/co-authored over 70 publications, 14 Patent’s / Patent applications, and conducted over 100 presentations about technology & business development.
He holds a Ph.D. in EE from the University of Colorado, an M.S. from the Colorado School of Mines and a B.S in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University. Tuttle is joining as Senior Scientific and Business Advisor
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191