Combinatorial synthesis of solid state electronic materials for renewable energy applications

Abstract

We report on the development of new combinatorial capabilities for both the synthesis of new solid state opto-electronic materials and optimization of existing materials for renewable energy applications especially photovoltaic devices. Some of the important materials for these renewable energy applications include semiconductors (such as for absorber layers), transparent conductors, energy storage materials and more. In this paper, we focus on the application of a combinatorial approach to two specific material areas, transparent conducting oxides and thin film Si. In the former case, libraries are generated by sputtering and in the latter by the hot-wire chemical vapor deposition. The application of a combinatorial approach to these materials areas can greatly accelerate the rate of discovery and optimization of new materials and the optimization of devices. We report on the development of tools for the production and characterization of libraries and on initial important results in both of these areas.