£13,726 pa stipend

Department of Engineering

Location: University Campus

Ref: Ref: PHD-CDT-PV2//WWW

Closing date for receipt of applications: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 17:00:00 BST

PhD position in Electron Microscopy of Solar Cell Materials

 Centre for Doctoral Training in New and Sustainable Photovoltaics / Department of Engineering / Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy

   This project is supervised by Prof K Durose and Prof G Tatlock and will take place in the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy http://www.liv.ac.uk/renewable-energy/  and the Department of Engineering. http://www.liv.ac.uk/engineering/research/materials-and-structures/ The PhD is part of the programme of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in New and Sustainable Photovoltaics www.cdt-pv.org

 Microstructure and functionality in thin film solar cells from sustainable materials

 The project is to use state of the art electron microscopy to determine what limits the performance of new solar cells made from sustainable materials. Presently, most solar cells are made from silicon, but the material is expensive. Cheaper alternatives such as “CIGS” include elements that could be in short supply if the solar energy market expands as predicted. In this PhD advanced electron microscopy methods will be used to investigate the microstructure and compositional factors that must be understood in order to develop solar cells from alternative materials.

A range of structural characterisation methods will be used to determine the systematic influence of process variables on the phase purity and microstructural properties of the films. It is an aim of the project to establish protocols for the synthesis of high quality films and of finished PV devices. The student will go on to evaluate finished devices using electron microscope methods e.g. to determine the interface quality and grain boundary distributions as well as micro-resolved functionality. They will also be responsible for the characterisation of device performance.

The student will use XRD, aberration corrected TEM, FIB, EDX and EELS, and device characterisation methods. It is expected that they will become an expert in structural and chemical evaluation of both solar energy materials and solar cells.

Students enrolled for PhDs in the Centre for Doctoral Training in New and Sustainable PV will be funded for four years. Their research projects will begin immediately in October and will run in parallel with an advanced and comprehensive course in PV. The course will be delivered in two week blocks at the Universities of Liverpool, Bath, Cambridge, Loughborough, Oxford, Sheffield and Southampton.

Funding for this position is from the EPSRC CDT in new and Sustainable PV. EPSRC funded positions are open to UK/EU citizens only, due to funding rules.  EU students who have not been resident in the UK for the last three years proceeding the start of their studentship are only eligible for a fees-only award.  International students are not eligible for any funding through the CDT. Candidates will have at least an upper second class honours degree in physics, or materials science. All the projects take place in a leading PV laboratory, and the position will be fully integrated into the Centre for Doctoral Training in New and Sustainable Photovoltaics

Contact Professor K Durose for more information on this project (ken.durose@liverpool.ac.uk)

Formal application procedures are outlined on http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying/index.htm