School of Engineering and Technology, (SET)
 
AT79.9007 : Selected Topic: Nanotechnology for Solar Cells  2(2-0)
 
Course objectives:

The objective of this course is first to acquaint the student with solar cell technology in general and its importance in renewable energy research and then to introduce the domain of nanotechnology - the nanoscale materials and new solar cell architectures and how they impact the solar cell performance. This is an application oriented course where ongoing research across the globe on emerging nanomaterials for third generation solar cell design will be discussed.
 
Learning Outcomes:
•      Students learn the fundamentals of solar cell technologies
•      Students learn the role of nanomaterials in light energy applications
•      Students are prepared to enter into the renewable energy market
•      Students can explore topics for their research career in solar energy field
•      Students are prepared to apply their knowledge set to the semiconductor and solar energy industries
 
Pre-requisite(s):
AT79.08 Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials;

Basics of semiconductor physics;

Bachelor’s, Master’s degree in electronics, electrical, materials, environmental engineering or science fields like physics, chemistry or material science
 
Course Outline:
I.             The Solar Spectrum and Principle of Solar Cells
1.      History
2.      Solar spectrum and its properties
3.      Interaction of light with matter
4.      Photovoltaic effect
5.      Solar cell generations

II.         Solar Energy Materials
1.      Silicon – the common solar cell material and its theoretical limits
2.      Basics of semiconductor physics and carrier concentration
3.      Nanomaterials and their tunable properties
4.      Examples of solar cell materials
5.      The choice of materials and structures for solar energy conversion
III.      Design and Characterization of Solar Cells
1.      Standards, Calibration and typical electrical characterization of solar cell
2.      PN junction and non-PN junction based structures and working principles of solar cells
3.      Thin film solar cells
4.      New emerging third generation solar cells – such as, tandem cells, multiband cells, not carrier cells, multiple exciton generation concept, plasmonic solar cells etc.

IV.       Fabrication Methods
1.      Solution based fabrication techniques
2.      Solid – vapor phase fabrication techniques
3.      Large scale fabrication techniques
 
 
Learning Resources:

Textbook:
Lectures and Handouts:
1.     Updated PowerPoint slides to guide discussions and provide dispersed lectures
2.     Handouts are provided online to support lectures
3.     Whiteboard derivation of equations and concepts

Textbooks:
No specific text books are followed in this course. All necessary course materials will be supplied to the students. The course will mainly discuss latest cutting-edge development in the area of nanotechnology for solar cell technology form premier scientific and engineering journals.
 
Reference Books:
1.     Nanostructured Materials for Solar Energy Conversion, Edited by: Tetsuo Soga, Elsevier 2006, ISBN: 978-0-444-52844-5
2.     Solar Cell Nanotechnology, Edited by: Atul Tiwari, Rabah Boukherroub, Maheshwar Sharon, Wiley 2013, ISBN: 9781118686256
 
Journals and Magazines:
1.     Science
2.     Nature Nanotechnology
3.     Nano Letters, ACS Publications
4.     Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Elsevier

Others:
1.     National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
2.     Internet resources
 
Time Distribution and Study Load:
The course will be taught using fundamental science and several real examples on solar cell designs and students will be asked to provide their feedbacks regularly about the new technologies in solar cell design. There will be regular and sudden quiz exams as well as assignments and other classroom tasks to evaluate the understanding level of the students. The course materials will be updated with respect to the latest developments in the solar cell nanotechnology area.
 
Teaching and Learning Methods:
•      This is a lecture intensive course that is both science and technologically intensive 2 hours lectures per week
•      Students need to spend at least 2-4 hours a week on study
•      Assignments are based on real life examples and require good understanding of science and technology in the subject area 
 
Evaluation Scheme:
30%   Mid-term examination
20%   Assignments and quiz exams
50%   Final examination
(All exams will be closed book type)

 “A” students need to show excellent performance on exams that are a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative aspects (fundamental knowledge) but also excel with solving real life issues related to solar cell design. The student should be ready after completion of this course to have a comprehensive understanding of the newly emerging third generation solar cells and their technological design challenges with latest developments across the globe.
 
Instructor(s):
SECTION NAME