Interactions between metallic impurities in silicon for solar cells

The proposed exchange would allow our two research teams to combine their complementary, world-class expertise in the preparation and characterisation of metal-doped crystalline silicon. In particular we will study the combined impact of iron, the most important impurity in silicon solar cells, co-doped with gold, aluminium and chromium. This is a highly relevant research topic within the field of silicon solar cells. Silicon is the dominant material for today’s industry, which is predicted to grow explosively during the 21st century. New forms of low-cost ‘solar-grade’ silicon are essential to fuel this growth, and are now being developed. However, these new materials contain relatively high concentrations of unwanted metal impurities, which can reduce cell efficiency. Therefore the study of these impurities, and their interactions, is of great importance. The exchanges would allow a transfer of cutting-edge techniques between our two groups.