HZB

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) operates the research reactor BER II, for experiments with neutrons, and the electron storage ring BESSY II. Solar energy research at the HZB is dedicated to the technology for the next generation of thin film solar cells, including thin film silicon and innovative cell structures like ultra-thin absorber layers and highly structured surfaces and interfaces.
Departments: Young Investigator Group (YIG) NanooptiX: New nanooptical concepts for chalcopyrite (Cu(In,Ga)Se2) solar cells. Aim is the reduction of absorber material, maintaining device efficiency, by integrating optical concepts on the nano- and the micro-meter scales. Institute for Heterogeneous Materials Systems E-IH: Improvement of chalcopyrite based thin film solar cells, analytics and characterization and new materials and solar cell structures. Research subjects range from basic studies of the materials properties and interfaces to device-oriented technological problems. YIG Si-Nanoarchitectures: Optimized light trapping structures, nanoimprint-lithography and silicon thin-film deposition & crystallization techniques. Photovoltaic devices based on 2D and 3D periodic crystalline silicon nanodome arrays. PvcomB: operates two R&D Lines for CIGS and thin-film Si (a-Si/µc-Si) based modules on 30x30 cm2. Within this project new module-integration schemes will be developed for both module types