Job Delft University of Technology - 4 PhD Students in Thin-Film Silicon Photovoltaics

Thin-film silicon PV is a promising technology with the potential to be scaled up to several terawatts, ensuring a significant contribution to the global energy supply in the latter 21st century. The advantages of thin-film silicon PV are its low production cost, the abundance of materials like Si, O, Zn and Al, and its easy implementation in building elements or on flexible substrates.
These PhD positions aim to enhance the efficiency of thin-film silicon solar cells using three approaches:
1) multi-junction concepts (stack of thin-film silicon junctions with different bandgaps) to improve the matching between the solar spectrum and the light absorption range of the solar cell.
2) improvement of light management: increasing the absorption path length in the absorber layers by enhancing the light confinement and enhancement of spectral selectivity of the coupling of light into the various junctions in a multi-junction cell. Textured interfaces, reflective (multi-)layers, nanostructured layers, layers with plasmonic functionalities and down converters will be explored and developed.
3) improving the stability of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films. An important issue of the a-Si:H phase is that its electronic properties degrade under light exposure (the ‘Staebler-Wronski effect’).
For more information, see the PVMD group’s website (under ‘vacancies’): http://www.pvmd.ewi.tudelft.nl.

The applicant must have:
* an MSc degree in a relevant discipline, e.g. chemistry, physicis or electronic engineering (preferably with a background in PV or plasma processing).
* a team player attitude.
* strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
* fluency in English.

The successful candidate will be employed full-time by TU Delft for a fixed period of 4 years within which he or she is expected to write a dissertation leading to a doctoral degree (PhD thesis). The starting salary for a PhD is €2042 gross per month increasing to a maximum of €2612 gross per month in the fourth year.

TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package, including a flexible work week, free high-speed Internet access from home, and the option of assembling a customised compensation and benefits package (the 'IKA'). Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.

For more information about this position please contact Miro Zeman, phone: +31 (0)15-2782409, e-mail: M.Zeman@tudelft.nl. To apply, please e-mail a detailed CV along with a letter of application by 20 September 2010 to: peno-ewi@tudelft.nl.
Applicants must also submit proof of a GPA (grade point average) > 75% and evidence of proficiency in the English language. If your native language is other than English or Dutch and you do not hold a degree from an institution in which English is the language of instruction, you must submit proof of English proficiency from either of the two following sources:
1) TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language, requirement TOEFL > 90, see http://www.ets.org/toefl/)
2) IELTS (International English Language Testing System-academic version, requirement IELTS > 6.5, see http://www.ielts.org/).
When applying for this position, make sure to mention vacancy number EWI2010-19.

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is a multifaceted institution offering education and carrying out research in the technical sciences at an internationally recognised level. Education, research and design are strongly oriented towards applicability. TU Delft develops technologies for future generations, focusing on sustainability, safety and economic vitality. At TU Delft you will work in an environment where technical sciences and society converge. TU Delft comprises eight faculties, unique laboratories, research institutes and schools.

The programme of the Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (PVMD) group builds up expertise in the design and fabrication technology of thin-film silicon solar cells. The current focus is on amorphous and nano-crystalline silicon films fabricated at low temperatures using Chemical Vapour Deposition techniques. The group specialises in applying advanced measurement techniques in combination with computer modelling for determination of (opto-)electronic properties, such as the density of defects, in thin layers of disordered materials. The acquired expertise is used for the optimisation of thin-film silicon solar cells and for the development of novel concepts using nano-structured materials for future high-efficient solar cells.

Miro Zeman
+31 (0)15-2782409
M.Zeman@tudelft.nl
A.H.M. Smets
+31 (0)15-2788739
a.h.m.smets@tudelft.nl
Technische Universiteit Delft