Physics Department Seminar

Building a Better Solar Cell One Step at a Time

Solar cells with record-breaking efficiencies have been fabricated using semiconductors that are compounds of elements from group III and group V of the periodic table, for example Gallium Arsenide (GaAs). The performance of these cells depends critically on a number of physical properties of these materials. At NREL the scientists and engineers in the III/V group are working to improve the quality of these cells step by step. In this talk I will present a basic discussion of the physics of III/V solar cells and my work at NREL on determining the lifetime of minority carriers in and modeling the performance of III/V multi-junction cells.

Prof. Linda S. Fritz

Franklin & Marshall College, The National Renewable Energy Laboratory 

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Roddy Hall, Room 149

Refreshments will be available at 3:30 p.m.

All are invited to attend!