PhD Scholarship: Cleaning up Photovoltaics: Nanoscale Protective Coatings for Solar Glass

Qualification: Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (PhD)

Start date: 6th January 2025, 1st April or 6th October 2025

Funding for: 3.5 years

Supervisors: Dr Sophie Pain and Professor John Murphy

Project Description:

Surface reflection losses and soiling of solar panel surfaces reduce annual global performance by ≥4-7%. Hence, anti-soiling coatings (ASCs) are an important consideration. Minimising these losses could considerably improve energy output over a solar panel's lifetime and reduce the need to clean/maintain the panel in the field.

The aim of this PhD project is to develop protective, nanoscale anti-soiling coatings for solar glass. ASCs must be transparent, anti-reflective, durable, and self-cleaning, all of which can be tuned with material/process design. Polymers have been proposed as potential ASCs, but this project will focus on thin film anti-soiling coatings fabricated by atomic layer deposition. This is aligned with Dr Pain’s Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship on finding thin-film alternatives to polymeric components of solar modules to improve recyclability.

Central to the project are the two atomic layer deposition (ALD) facilities at the University of Warwick, including a £400k plasma-enhanced ALD tool within the Nanofabrication RTP, and a thermal ALD system in the Electronic Materials and Interfaces Laboratory. The objective will be to develop a fundamental understanding of material properties at the atomic scale and how processes can be manipulated to develop protective coatings which can be applied to both glass and silicon. The student will gain experience with cleanroom processing, silicon-specific analytical techniques (including minority carrier lifetime measurements and photoluminescence imaging) and materials characterisation, including spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, and advanced microscopy.

Scholarship:

The award will cover the tuition fees at the UK rate of £4,925, plus a tax-free stipend of £20,140 per annum for 3.5 years of full-time study.

Eligibility:

The candidate should have a good 2.1 Bachelors, or Masters degree. The project would suit someone with a materials science/engineering, chemistry, chemical engineering or physics background. Experimental experience (e.g., materials characterisation, synthesis) is advantageous but not necessary, as full training will be given.

How to apply:

Applicants should prepare a full CV and submit it via the above ‘Apply’ button. If you have any questions or would like more information about this project, please contact sophie.l.pain@warwick.ac.uk. 

The University of Warwick provides an inclusive working and learning environment, recognising and respecting every individual’s differences. We welcome applications from individuals who identify with any of the protected characteristics defined by the Equality Act 2010.

Closes: 2nd December 2024

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