GLISS SIGNED

Project "GLISS" data sheet

The following table provides information about the project.

 Partnership

Take a look of project's partnership.

Map

 Project objective

Current satellite technologies are limited by the photovoltaic (PV) panels they require for power generation. Despite steady advances in efficiency afforded by modern III-V multijunction PV, these large, rigid panels are expensive to produce and launch due to their heavy on-wafer architecture and thick protective coverglass, which is necessary to prevent radiation damage. I will develop and demonstrate ultra-thin (<100 nm) III-V PV, for highly efficient, lightweight, and flexible satellite PV provision. Decreased costs will help accelerate universal availability of satellite services, essential for sustainable global development, and removing PV form factor restrictions will drive innovation in satellite design.

Realizing this goal will require a translational program of research, ranging from fundamental design parameters to scalable fabrication methodologies. I recently demonstrated that the ultra-thin form factor exhibits intrinsic radiation tolerance, suggesting the prospect of a coverglass free, flexible system. I will target high efficiency in this geometry by engineering the device architecture to rebalance carrier interaction rates to support generation of non-equilibrium hot-carriers through the use of nanophotonic structures for strong E-field enhancement. The electronic structure will be designed for energy selective hot-carrier extraction, allowing highly efficient operation. Scalable fabrication will be achieved via development of a novel crystal growth method, in which III-V films are grown epitaxially on 2D monolayers. The 2D interface will prevent strong bonding between the deposited layer and an underlying growth substrate, which provides registry information to the crystal as it nucleates. The epitaxial layer will be free to glide across the growth surface during film formation, allowing the mechanical release of pristine films and the unlimited reuse of the growth substrates, enabling scalable, economically viable production of this new device.