NanoTex: III-V Nanotexturing for Enhanced Light Trapping in Photonic Applications

NanoTex：用于增强光子应用中的光捕获的 III-V 纳米纹理

• 批准号: 578631-2022
• 负责人: Hinzer, KarinK
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=752458
• 关键词: NanoTex; III; Nanotexturing; Enhanced; Light

Photonic power converters are photovoltaic devices designed to convert laser light directly into electrical power with a theoretical efficiency approaching 100%. High technology ecosystems such aerospace, avionics, defense, medicine, and telecommunications would greatly benefit from more affordable photonic power converters with a higher efficiency.The NanoTex project proposes to design, fabricate, and characterize photonic power converters with a textured surface. These textures are patterned at a sub-micrometric scale to trap light within the device. Light trapping enables thinner and flexible devices with higher conversion efficiencies and the potential for reduced manufacturing costs.NanoTex creates a new international collaboration between the University of Ottawa (UO) and Arizona State University (ASU). UO is currently developing photonic power converter microfabrication processes and III-V semiconductor patterning at a sub-micrometric scale to manufacture the textures. ASU will complement UO's work with its expertise and tools to design, grow and characterize III-V semiconductor structures.The project leverages numerical simulations to quickly assess the performance of texture geometries to obtain an optimal design that traps light efficiently. Micro- and nanofabrication processes will be developed to create sub-micrometric textures with optimal geometry obtained from numerical simulations. Passivation processes will be developed to reduce the surface defect density created by the texturing. Finally, micro- and nanofabrication processes will be developed and applied to realize high-performance, robust nanotextured photonic power converters.

光子能量转换器是一种光伏器件，旨在将激光直接转换为电能，理论效率接近 100%。航空航天、航空电子、国防、医学和电信等高科技生态系统将极大地受益于更实惠且效率更高的光子功率转换器。NanoTex 项目建议设计、制造和表征具有纹理表面的光子功率转换器。这些纹理以亚微米尺度形成图案，以将光线捕获在设备内。光捕获使设备变得更薄、更灵活，具有更高的转换效率，并有可能降低制造成本。NanoTex 在渥太华大学 (UO) 和亚利桑那州立大学 (ASU) 之间建立了新的国际合作。 UO 目前正在开发亚微米级光子功率转换器微加工工艺和 III-V 半导体图案化来制造纹理。亚利桑那州立大学将利用其设计、生长和表征 III-V 半导体结构的专业知识和工具来补充 UO 的工作。该项目利用数值模拟来快速评估纹理几何形状的性能，以获得有效捕获光的最佳设计。将开发微米和纳米加工工艺，以创建具有通过数值模拟获得的最佳几何形状的亚微米纹理。将开发钝化工艺以减少纹理化产生的表面缺陷密度。最后，将开发并应用微米和纳米制造工艺来实现高性能、鲁棒的纳米纹理光子功率转换器。