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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/I035501/1
Title: Solar cells based on InGaN nanostructures
Principal Investigator: Cherns, Professor D
Other Investigators:
Kent, Professor A Foxon, Professor CT Campion, Dr RP
Novikov, Professor S Mellor, Dr CJ Fermin, Professor DJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Arizona State University
Department: Physics
Organisation: University of Bristol
Scheme: Standard Research
Starts: 01 October 2011 Ends: 30 September 2014 Value (£): 429,592
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation Optoelect. Devices & Circuits
Solar Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
There is a worldwide effort to increase power generation through solar cells, to meet targets in reducing greenhouse gases. One requirement is for high efficiency multijunction solar cells (MJSCs) to extract power from concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, which are expected to become central to the delivery of solar power to national and super-grid systems. At present such MJSCs must combine different materials systems, and are usually limited by the requirement to lattice-match the individual cells to avoid efficiency losses due to defects. In this proposal we aim to circumvent these problems by investigating solar cells based on InxGa1-xN, which has a direct band gap of 0.7-3.4 eV, spanning most of the visible spectrum, thus promising MJSCs from a single materials system. To avoid the problems of lattice mismatch and of material quality, which limit prototype solar cells based on InxGa1-xN epilayers to low x (x<0.3), we will grow the InxGa1-xN in nanorod form, merging the nanorods using methods we have already developed to provide a solar cell template. The team assembled, which combines complementary expertise in growth and device fabrication (U. Nottingham), structural characterization (U. Bristol), nanoscale optical and electrical characterization (Arizona State U.) and solar cell design and characterization (NREL), aims to explore the properties of InxGa1-xN single junction cells over the full composition range (0
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Organisation Website: http://www.bris.ac.uk