Clockwise from front:
Kean Chern Fong, James Cotsell, Thein Truong, Michael Jambor, Lachlan Black, Stephane Armand, ANU
ACAP ANU is proud to announce the successful installation and commissioning of the Next-Generation Silicon (Si) and Tandem Hetero-Contact (NGSTH) Laboratory in Canberra.
This ground-breaking facility was established as part of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics' research infrastructure round funded by ARENA with co-investment from the Australian National University (ANU).
Key equipment installed includes the Oxford Instruments FlexAL atomic layer deposition (ALD) system, the Angstrom Engineering Sputtering and Evaporation System, and the Indeotec OctoLite plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) system.
Notably, the cluster of tools combines the capabilities of the ALD, PECVD, evaporation, and sputtering tools in a virtual cluster that is connected via inert-atmosphere control to create a sand-box environment which allows the stacking of different materials prepared by various methods. This enables the formation of thin-film stacks without exposure to atmospheric conditions, making it possible to create more complex films and efficient photovoltaic devices.
The new capabilities will make an immediate impact in ongoing research projects in the development of advanced Silicon and Silicon-Perovskite Tandem cell technologies, and is expected be the backbone of novel materials development for future solar cell technologies for the coming decade.
For further enquiries, please contact Dr. Kean Chern Fong at kean.fong@anu.edu.au