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IEK-5 Photovoltaics
Sustainable Photovoltaics - Basics and Technology
At the Institute for Energy and Climate Research (IEK-5) - Photovoltaics, novel materials as well as innovative device architectures for sustainable photovoltaics based on thin films are investigated. On the one hand, the physical fundamentals of mainly disordered material systems are investigated, such as amorphous and microcrystalline silicon and their alloys, organic and hybrid structures, and various functional oxides. On the other hand, future-oriented technological applications are being developed, e.g. passivation and contact layers for high-efficiency silicon heterostructure solar cells as well as optimized silicon thin-film stack cells on flexible substrates or for applications in the field of solar water splitting. At the same time, IEK-5 is developing the necessary manufacturing processes with a special focus on industrial applicability. An essential prerequisite for targeted material and technology development is the comprehensive characterization and modeling of the optoelectronic properties of thin-film materials and devices at IEK-5. The activities cover all relevant length scales and range from the atomistic resolution of nanostructures and elementary processes to failure and yield analysis at the module level.