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Hairy Solar Cells Mean Higher Efficiency |
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Written by Jared Maynard
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Tuesday, 20 May 2008 |
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"A new manufacturing process could mean improved efficiency for solar cells. The technique, which is being pioneered by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, results in “hairy” solar cells.
The hairs are visible only on the microscopic level. They’re actually nanowires: tiny silicon or metallic structures used to complete very small circuits.
The UC San Diego research sounds similar to a project announced last week by a consortium of German universities, working on concert with Harvard’s Science department. At UC San Diego, scientists were able to grow nanowires directly on an inexpensive indium tin oxide conductive surface. The nanowires were then coated with an organic polymer. The German project bonds their nanowires with spun glass."
~ecotechdaily.com
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