Book description
Written by scientists from leading institutes in Germany, USA and Spain
who use these techniques as the core of their scientific work and who
have a precise idea of what is relevant for photovoltaic devices, this
text contains concise and comprehensive lecture-like chapters on
specific research methods.
They focus on emerging, specialized techniques that are new to the field
of photovoltaics yet have a proven relevance. However, since new methods
need to be judged according to their implications for photovoltaic
devices, a clear introductory chapter describes the basic physics of
thin-film solar cells and modules, providing a guide to the specific
advantages that are offered by each individual method.
The choice of subjects is a representative cross-section of those
methods enjoying a high degree of visibility in recent scientific
literature. Furthermore, they deal with specific device-related topics
and include a selection of material and surface/interface analysis
methods that have recently proven their relevance. Finally, simulation
techniques are presented that are used for ab-initio calculations of
relevant semiconductors and for device simulations in 1D and 2D.
For students in physics, solid state physicists, materials scientists,
PhD students in material sciences, materials institutes, semiconductor
physicists, and those working in the semiconductor industry, as well as
being suitable as supplementary reading in related courses.
- Uwe Rau is full professor at RWTH Aachen (Faculty Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science, chair of photovoltaics) since 2007 and
is head of the energy research IEF-55 photovoltaic institute at the
research center in Julich. He obtained his PhD 1991 from Physical
Institute of the University Tubingen (Prof. Huebener) and was scientific
group leader from 1995-2007 at the University Bayreuth and Stuttgart.
- Daniel Abou-Ras is senior scientist at the Helmholtz Center Berlin for
Materials and Energy. He obtained his PhD at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. In
2005, he earned the MRS Graduate Student Gold Award at the MRS Spring
Meeting. His research interests are scanning as well as transmission
electron microscopy techniques applied on thin-film solar cells. Dr.
Abou-Ras has organized various Young Scientist Tutorials on
characterization techniques for thin film solar cells held at MRS and
E-MRS Meetings.
- Thomas Kirchartz is a scientist at the Institute of Energy at the
research center in Julich. He obtained his Dipl. Ing. degree from the
University of Stuttgart for work on the electroluminescence of solar
cells in 2006 and his Dr. Ing. from the RWTH Aachen in 2009 for work on
a detailed balance theory of solar cells. Dr. Kirchartz participated as
instructor in two Young Scientist Tutorials on characterization
techniques for thin film solar cells and was awarded a Graduate Student
Award of the European Material Research Society.
