PRR Project

Summary

The tasks to be assigned to the prospective employee are:Design and simulation of solar cell and thin film solid-state battery integrated devices;Growth of semiconductor thin films for photovoltaic applications;Growth of ionic conductors and electronic insulator thin films for solid-state battery applications;Design and develop cost-effective thermoelectric devices based on cheap metal oxides materials as eco-benign alternative to traditional thermoelectrics;Study the doping type and level and devise experimental approaches to enable their fine and reproducible control;Develop reproducible approaches to tune the band gap and its depth profile in absorber layers;Study the band alignment between the various layers forming the device under development and estimate its impact on performance, devise possible mitigation strategies;Study interface properties, propose and test strategies for the mitigation of detrimental effects;Study of phonons, ionic and electronic conductivities;Ability to write innovative projects and tap into the various funding sources to ensure independent research program and boost the development of this field of research with potential for high economic, social and environmental impact;Actively collaborate with national and international industry partners and/or research groups;Have a strategic vision aligned with i3N´s research strengths and contribute to the development of i3N´s strategic thematic lines: 2 - Green and Clean Energy Systems and 3 - Nanomaterials Engineering and Functional Interfaces.The scientific profile required for the prospective employee is:A strong background in Physics Engineering or Physics or other relevant profiles, with a track record on the design and simulation of thin film heterostructures, PVD growth, study of morphological, chemical, structural, electronic and optical properties as well as their application in devices;Experience on design, preparation, simulation and prototyping of bulk materials for energy production based on thermoelectric materials;Be highly motivated to develop independent thinking, display a passion for tackling complex and longstanding problems and propose new experiments and solutions;The applicant should have outstanding performance in his field of expertise and the potential to become a field leader;Experience in the supervision of project, master and PhD students in this field;Possess excellent interpersonal skills essential for tutorial teaching, close student monitoring, and collaborative work with colleagues. Also, should be able to entice new students and researchers to the area, thus ensuring the training of the new generations of highly qualified professionals in the field;Experience in dissemination of research findings through high-impact publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences;Have the ability and drive to write innovative projects to ensure independent research and boost the development in one of these fields;Ability to attract research funding and develop an independent research, demonstrated by success in securing grant or industrial funding.Rationale:Hiring an Assistant researcher with the profile described above is needed because i3N is committed, as can be seen from strategic Thematic Lines 2 and 3, to contribute to the EU ambitious goal towards decarbonizing energy production and achieving key climate change related objectives by 2030/2050 as set out under the EU Green Deal aiming at supporting the Clean Energy Transition and reaffirmed by the European Recovery Plan. The first generation of thin film technologies, such as CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS), have reached comparable efficiency to c-Si and have become industrially established. These thin film technologies maintain one substantial advantage, requiring ~100 times thinner absorber material and substantially less energy in the manufacturing process compared to Si (=100 µm).Photovoltaic (PV) solar cell (SC) technologies are on track towards meeting more than 5% (~1.6 TW) of global electrical energy demand by 2025. To satisfy 30% of the world’s energy demand (~10 TW) – the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan target by 2040-2050, advocates additional research and development on emerging PV absorbers to diversify the portfolio of incumbent solar technologies and enable the rebirth of EU PV industry. The pursuit of efficient and sustainable energy production has ignited significant interest in high-temperature waste heat harvesting, and thermoelectrics display properties well adjusted for this purpose, mainly thermoelectric oxides, with their high thermal stability in harsh and high-temperature environments. Thermoelectric harvesting will play a key role on future sustainable energy technologies, provided by simplicity, excellent scalability and reliability, and self-sufficiency to enable mobile or remote applications.