From second generation solar cells to third generation solar (-fuel-) cells

Dates: 
19 December, 2008 - 14:00
Speaker(s): 
Panos Tzanetakis, Associate Professor, University of Crete and Institute of Electronic Structureand Laser. FO.R.T.H, Greece
Venue: 
Guy Ourisson building, Athalassa Campus (Higher Technical Institute - HTI)

Synopsis
A short guided tour will be presented on the evolution of operating schemes and materials for solar cells. These are increasingly linked to energy storage technologies and electrochemical fuel cells in ways more fundamental than the system engineering point of view alone. Promising materials and microstructures for this energy chain often suffer from long term stability in operation in complex ways which are difficult to understand. Specific examples of previous studies of our group in two topics will be presented. The first concerns metastable, light-induced structural changes of hydrogenated amorphous or microcrystalline Si and SiGe alloys. The second involved Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy complemented by femtosecond laser illumination in mapping field- and photo- emission of electrons from metallic nanoparticles and oxide-clad Si nanowires.

For more information, please call 22208600.