Novel n-type Materials for Emerging Thin-Film Solar Cells

  • //applyindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/denmark.png Denmark
  • University/Institute Name Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
  • University/Institute Name Department of Electrical & Photonics Engineering
  • Attendance Type On Campus
  • Position Duration3 years
  • Position Funding Type
  • Application deadlineExpired

Position Details (PhD)

If you want to establish yourself as a scientist within materials and devices for sustainable energy generation and if you have the ambition to break new ground at the forefront of technology, this Ph.D. scholarship is for you. At the Photovoltaic Materials and Systems Group at DTU Fotonik, we work with emerging materials for photovoltaic applications. By joining the group you will work within novel n-type materials for the solar cells of the future.

At DTU Fotonik, we have many years of experience with the environmentally-friendly and non-toxic solar cell absorber material Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS), both as a single-junction and as a part of a multi-junction solar cell. CZTS and many other thin-film solar cells use the toxic n-type material cadmium sulfide (CdS), which does not result in an optimal band alignment at the p-n interface for CZTS. The aim of this Ph.D. scholarship is to design new, tunable, Cd-free n-type materials, which can enhance the efficiency of emerging thin-film solar cells. The group at DTU Fotonik is world leading within tandem systems of solar cells with CZTS as the toplayer.

Responsibilities and qualifications
You will be working on developing an n-type material with a tunable band gap and tunable conduction band and you will apply them in CZTS solar cells as well as other novel solar cell absorbers. You will contribute to the fabrication and characterization of the devices, as well as advanced characterization of the p-n interface.

Your primary tasks will be to:

  • Explore new n-type oxide materials that are deposited mainly by sputtering, but other deposition techniques such as solution-based methods or atomic layer deposition (ALD) could also be used
  • Investigate CZTS thin-film solar cells with the new n-type layers
  • Model the CZTS/n-type layer interface by a software such as SCAPS
  • Teach and supervise B.Sc. and M.Sc. student projects
  • Dissemination of scientific results to various audiences via different media (scientific journals, international conferences, etc.)

You must have a two-year master’s degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master’s degree.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU’s rules for the PhD education.

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Researcher Sara Engberg, Senior Scientist Stela Canulescu, and Senior Researcher Eugen Stamate.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years. The starting date is as soon as possible.

The main workplace is DTU Risø Campus and occasionally at Lyngby Campus, and this position includes external stay(s) at our partner, FAU, University of Erlangen, in Germany.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Sara Engberg, [email protected] from DTU Fotonik, and please mark email with “Novel n-type Materials for Emerging Thin-Film Solar Cells” in subject field.

You can read more about DTU Fotonik at www.fotonik.dtu.dk/english.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark. Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 12 December 2022 (Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link “Apply online”, fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

  • A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma including official description of grading scale

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master’s degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

DTU Fotonik has 220 employees with competences in optics. In a typical year, DTU Fotonik educates 55 PhD students from more than 25 countries and our student numbers are constantly growing. As one of Europe’s largest public photonics research departments, DTU Fotonik covers a multitude of optical disciplines ranging from fundamental light-matter interaction and optical telecommunications to applied research and innovation. Our research topics include optical sensors, lasers, LEDs, photovoltaics, ultra-high speed optical transmission systems, bio-photonics, nano-optics and quantum photonics.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,400 students and 5,800 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.

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