Nanowire Solar Cells
6 February 2008, 13:15
Categories: smt-energy-photovoltaic nanotubes-wires-fullerenes
Researchers at McMaster University, Canada, say that they have grown light-absorbing nanowires made of high-performance photovoltaic materials on thin, but highly durable, carbon-nanotube fabric. They’ve also harvested similar nanowires from reusable substrates and embedded the tiny particles in flexible polyester film. Both approaches, they argue, could lead to solar cells that are both flexible and cheaper than today’s photovoltaics.
The image above shows gallium arsenide nanowires growing on a silicon substrate. The nanowires grow upward from the substrate, creating a surface that’s able to absorb more sunlight than a flat surface is. The team leader, Ray LaPierre, says it is theoretically possible to achieve 40 percent efficiency, given the superior ability of such materials to absorb energy from sunlight and the light-trapping nature of nanowire structures. By comparison, current thin-film technologies offer efficiencies of between 6 and 9 percent.
Posted by: The Editors
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