Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R21066/01
Title:	Solar Cells On Textiles
Principal Investigator:	Wilson, Professor Emeritus J
Other Investigators:	Mather, Dr R
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Scott & Fyfe Ltd T H S Industrial Textiles
Department:	Physics
Organisation:	Heriot-Watt University
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 March 2001	Ends:	28 February 2002	Value (£):	61,529
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Processing Solar Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
We propose to study the feasibility of producing solar cells on fibres and textile materials. It is intended to define the problems that might arise in an active coating on fibres and flexible substrates, for instance in depositing the layered semiconductor structure that is required for a photovoltaic diode and in making effective conductive contacts. The selection of fibre materials will include many candidates from industrial suppliers as well as woven and nonwoven fabrics, with conducting materials deposited by rf sputtering, including both metals and a transparent conducting oxide. Plasma-deposited amorphous silicon thin-films will be used for the semiconducting layers, since they provide a mature technology that can be used as a test system. The following potential processing difficulties will be explored: plasma degradation of the substrate media, effective heating of fibres in the deposition system, coating uniformity, and contact continuity. The quality of the deposited layers will be assessed by their electrical properties and the photovoltaic performance will be assessed by the usual dark and illuminated current-voltage characteristics. In future it may be preferable to use organic materials that better match the processing environment of fibres, When these can offer better power conversion efficiency, photocurrent density and lifetime.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.hw.ac.uk