9802639 Payne This award supports a 24 month Science and Technology Agency of Japan (STA) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Dr. Adam Payne at the Electrotechnical Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan. Dr. Payne will work with Dr. Akihisa Matsuda, Director, Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells Super Lab, on a research project entitled, "Rapid Growth of Microcrystalline Silicon for Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells." The proposed research project will focus on two aspects: (1) further investigations of dichlorosilane as a new source gas, as well as looking at different ways to increase the deposition rate of Microcrystalline silicon (uc-Si), and (2) applying a method for improving hole mobility to a-SiGe:H films and solar cells. It is believed that fossil fuels lead to dramatic changes in the global climate. Also, use of coal and petroleum-based liquid fuels is causing massive degradation in local air quality. Photovoltaic cells have the potential to become a good substitute for the above fuels. Although the bulk of their demand is being met by single crystalline and polycrystalline silicon cells, thin- film solar cells will dominate the future of photovoltaics. Microcrystalline silicon (uc-Si) shows increased conductivity compared with a-Si:H, but it does not absorb light as well. The deposition rate of uc-Si is lower than a- Si:H so the thicker layers required to absorb sunlight take even longer to deposit. The research will focus on improvements necessary to incorporate uc-Si as the absorbing layer of a solar cell in order to increase its deposition rate as much as possible. ***
