Method developed by the university team could lead to more efficient solar cells and improved electronicsProfessors John Rogers and Xiuling Li of the University of Illinois are exploring ways to manufacture thin films of gallium arsenide that can be easily incorporated into various devices, such as solar panels, at lower costs. The group developed a method that can deposit multiple layers of gallium arsenide onto a single wafer. The layers can then be individually peeled off and transferred, allowing the wafer to be reused for another growth. Freeing the material from the wafer also offers the possibility of flexible, thin-film electronics.
Photo courtesy John Rogers
A flexible array of gallium arsenide solar cells. Gallium arsenide and other compound semiconductors are more efficient than the more commonly used silicon.
