Goal of the course is to

• understand the fundamental limits of solar energy conversion.
• know about the used materials and their electronic properties as well as the relevant technologies.
• be able to identify relevant characterization techniques for the analysis of specific material and device properties.

• understand the physical limits of the various characterization techniques.

The course will be held in English and addresses master and PhD students in physics, chemistry, and physical chemistry. Successful participation in the course and passing the oral exam is rewarded with a total of 10 ECTS credit points.

Main Topics of the Course

A. Photovoltaics

• Introduction to the basics of semiconductor physics
• Introduction to the basic principles of photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion
• Materials and concepts for PV including silicon, chalcopyrites, CdTe, OPV, DSSC, perovskites, novel concepts (3^rd generation), …

B. Analytics

• Basics of spectroscopy (light sources, detectors, spectral analysis…)
• Electrical characterization of PV devices (I-V, EQE, electroluminescence,...)
• Optical characterization (UV-VIS, PL, IR, and Raman spectroscopy, Ellipsometry ...)
• Electrical Material Characterization (Photoconductivity, Hall Effect, time-of-flight, capacitance spectroscopy…)
• Structure and stoichiometry (NMR, XRD, XRF, RBS, AES, SEM, TEM, Neutron scattering…)
• Surfaces and Interfaces (XPS, UPS, ARPES, STM, AFM…)
• Defects (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, Positron Annihilation, Muon Spin Rotation, LBIC, EBIC, Thermography…)

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Klaus Lips:

Tel.:  030 8062 14960 

e-mail: lips@helmholtz-berlin.de