MOCVDLabObjective

-- BobVitale? - 26 Jun 2007

SOE MOCVD Lab Objective

Discoveries from this lab are expected to contribute towards the development of new and improved forms of renewable energy generation devices, such as solar cells and thermoelectric (waste heat) electrical generation. Many of these devices are under study and advancement by the Thermionic Energy Conversion Center, a Multi-University Research Initiative (MURI) with representation by UCSC, UC Berkeley, Harvard, MIT, Purdue, North Carolina State University and UC Santa Barbara. http://quantum.soe.ucsc.edu/research/TEC/tec.html

The MOCVD vessel will be used to study Group III-V thin films (such as Gallium arsenide (GaAs? ) and Indium Phosphid (InP? ) ). Some particular applications may be the development of new solar electric generation cells fabricated with GaAs? thin film on glass. GaAs? solar cells have much higher efficiencies that standard silicon solar cells, however the cost of fabricating on GaAs? substrate has been cost prohibited for price sensitive terrestrial energy market. The MOVCD is expected to study and demonstrate thin film nano-device fabrications from GaAs? materials that provide leaps in solar cell efficiency yet reduce manufacturing costs. Study of this process hopes to produce thin film solar cells with nearly the efficiency of traditional GaAs? circuits (35%) yet at the cost of amorphous silicon, which has 25% efficiency or even better at the cost of thin film silicon solar cells which only have 10% efficiency.

The ALD reactor for this lab will seek to study the uses of nano-devices made from metal oxides such as Titanium Oxide (Ti02), Aluminum Oxide, Hafnium Oxide (Hf02). One particular application of TiO2? nano-devices is for self cleaning surfaces such as glass and bio-sensors. Using some forms of TiO2? , it is possible to create devices that are self-cleaning with application of a light source. This self cleaning property can be used to produce enhanced sensors for biology and chemistry applications. Present sensors often apply heat to clean the sensor which distort, disrupts or sometimes kills the biology or chemistry experiment. There are countless other applications in the development of nano-devices from metal oxides, many of which are related to biotechnology.