renewable
energy
physics
Renewable energy
Joe Beach
Solar photovoltaic electricity
generation. He currently is working on ways to improve the efficiency
of thin film CdTe cells.
Reuben
T. Collins
Condensed
matter physics semiconductor science; electronic and optical
properties; photovoltaic materials and devices.
Tim Coutts
Is a Research Fellow at NREL where he studies how to improve the
transmittance and conductivity of n-type transparent conducting
oxides. This involves novel characterization methods as well as
theoretical studies. Also works on the development of p-ZnO by
various deposition techniques. Involved in modeling and
development of tandem thin-film solar cells.
Timothy
R. Ohno
Surface
physics; thin film epitaxial growth; interfacial properties;
photovoltaic materials; catalysis.
Fred Seymour
Electrical and optical characterization as well as the fabrication of
polycrystalline thin film CdTe PV solar cell devices. This
is a low cost PV technology and it is already enjoying substantial
commercial success. It has the potential to become a leading
technology if the energy conversion efficiency can be increased while
maintaining low manufacturing costs. Because of the
polycrystalline thin film nature of these devices, high concentrations
of electronic defects occur deep in the band gap. These defects
can act as Shockley-Read-Hall recombination centers and degrade
performance, but they can also increase the space charge density and
enhance performance. He has developed admittance spectroscopy as
well as capacitance transient techniques for their detection and
characterization. Unraveling the cause and effect interactions of
these defects relevant to device performance is a complex and
challenging problem. Fred hopes that the simultaneous study and
control of fabrication processes and characterization techniques will
lead to insights that help to significantly increase the energy
conversion efficiencyof these PV devices.
Tining Su
Craig
Taylor
Optical, electronic and structural
properties of
crystalline and amorphous semiconductors; localized electronic states
in amorphous semiconductors; electronic instabilities in films of
hydrogenated amorphous silicon and related alloys; electronic
properties of III-V semiconducting nanostructures; ordering in
ternary III-V alloys.