or
Continue with FacebookLooking to list your PhD opportunities? Log in here.
About the Project
The degradation effect on CdS/CdSe nanocrystal junctions and self-recovery/self-healing after Thermal Stress (TS) and Light Soaking (LS) degradation is investigate[1]. The device is bulk heterojunction with aluminium and ITO electrical contacts. This research involves the study of TS and LS on the stability of high efficiency (>10%) solar cells. The change in key electrical parameters Voc, FF, Jsc, A and Jo quantified for more than 2000 hours of stressing. The device degradation found to increase with stress temperature for TS. Below 100C0, the changes were due to collection and recombination losses. Above 100C0, “shunting” mechanisms found to start affecting the device performance.
Electrical characterization by current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements carried out before and after exposures. The decrease in charge carrier mobility observed with increasing the radiation dose. Moreover, the capacitances of irradiated samples are considerably higher than the barrier capacitance of non-irradiated ones. SEM, Xrd, DRS Spectra, Raman Spectra, Pl Spectra, Ellipsometry and Hall Effect employed to understand the changes occurred in crystal structure and reason of self-healing. This study will focus on the CdS/CdSe nanocrystals junctions and like materials that can show self-healing to nanocrystal junction after radiations degradation.
Aims and Objectives:
The long-term goal of this research work is to develop a relation of degradation effects of solar panels while the specific aims and objectives of our work are as follows:
· Synthesis of films of CdS/CdSe heterojunction for solar panels with ITO electrodes using spin coating technique.
· Stressing the virgin samples to TS and LS for long duration of about 2000 hours.
· Characterization of the exposed samples with the stated techniques to analyses the degradation in the nanocrystal junction of thin film.
· Defects analysis before and after stressing.
· Techniques to reduce nanocrystal junction degradation investigated.
Funding Notes
This project may be eligible for a Graduate School studentship for October 2025 entry - see the information at View Website
How to apply: see the Graduate School Studentships information at View Website and the information on the Faculty webpage GRS studentships for engineering, computing and the environment - Kingston University
Funding available
Stipend: .£21,237 per year for 3 years full-time; £10,618 part-time for 6 years
Fees: Home tuition fee for 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time
International students will be required to pay the difference between the Home and International tuition fee each year (£13,000 approx for 2025-26)
References
1. Doroody, C., et al., A comparative study of CdS thin films grown on ultra-thin glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering and chemical bath deposition. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, 2021. 133: p. 105935.
2. Blom, P.W., et al., Device physics of polymer: fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells. Advanced Materials, 2007. 19(12): p. 1551-1566.
3. Shaheen, S.E., et al., Fabrication of bulk heterojunction plastic solar cells by screen printing. Applied Physics Letters, 2001. 79(18): p. 2996-2998.
4. Singh, J., Optoelectronics: An introduction to materials and devices. 1996: McGraw-Hill College.
5. Gaponenko, S.V., Optical properties of semiconductor nanocrystals. Vol. 23. 1998: Cambridge university press.
2. Blom, P.W., et al., Device physics of polymer: fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells. Advanced Materials, 2007. 19(12): p. 1551-1566.
3. Shaheen, S.E., et al., Fabrication of bulk heterojunction plastic solar cells by screen printing. Applied Physics Letters, 2001. 79(18): p. 2996-2998.
4. Singh, J., Optoelectronics: An introduction to materials and devices. 1996: McGraw-Hill College.
5. Gaponenko, S.V., Optical properties of semiconductor nanocrystals. Vol. 23. 1998: Cambridge university press.
Register your interest for this project
The university will respond to you directly. You will have a FindAPhD account to view your sent enquiries and receive email alerts with new PhD opportunities and guidance to help you choose the right programme.
It looks like you alredy have a FindAPhD Account
Log in to save time sending your enquiry and view previously sent enquiries
* required field
The information you submit to Kingston University will only be used by them or their data partners to deal with your enquiry, according to their privacy notice. For more information on how we use and store your data, please read our privacy statement.
Search suggestions
Based on your current searches we recommend the following search filters.
Check out our other PhDs in London, United Kingdom
Start a New search with our database of over 4,000 PhDs
PhD suggestions
Based on your current search criteria we thought you might be interested in these.
Sustainable self-healing microcapsules for self-repairing asphalt pavements (Ref: AACME-24-040)
Loughborough University
Novel self-oxygenating and cell-instructive materials for chronic wound healing
University of Nottingham
Biological self-healing for sustainable construction
Newcastle University