Engineering of high conductive ZnO films and nanostructures substituting ITO electrodes in solar cells

Realistic estimates show that only mass production of solar to energy convertion devices may solve the energy problem on a global scale in a long run. In Norway, in parallel with strengthening and cleaning of the traditional energy production, there is a significant development in the renewable energy sector with a flagship of the Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) Solar AS. Interestingly, university physicists are trigged to make a contribution to the field too because a core of a solid state solar-to-en ergy conversion device is nothing else than a classical semiconductor p-n junction. Specifically, the researches at MiNa-lab/UiO are responsible for several on-going fundamental projects developing new materials for solar cells. One of the ideas - impleme nting superior type of a transparent electrode made of ZnO - is proposed to be addressed by the present consortium in a form of a KMB project between MiNa-lab/UiO and REC as a Norwegian part of the consortium. Furthermore, on behalf of a BILAT-naeringsret tet call, the consortium is enhanced by top level researchers/industry groups from USA. The pre-proposal peroid is used for enhancing the preparations of the full proposal by (i) discussing during project manager visits to the consortium parties as well as via phone/email meetings, (ii) organizing a one-day consortium meeting in connection with the 5th ZnO international workshop in USA, and probably most importantly by (iii) enhancing scientific and R&D interactions between the consortium party focusing on conducting several key experiments/simulations helping in better determining our our objectives for the full proposal.