Power of SUNY

BU Scientists Use Nanotechnology to Make Solar-Cell Production More Efficient

Scientists at the Binghamton University Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing are investigating how to make solar-cell production more efficient using nanotechnology.

The researchers report in the latest issue of the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy that they have developed a new manufacturing process for solar equipment. The manufacturing technique uses rolls of electronic material - the research team says the process is analogous to printing newspapers.

Lead researcher Howard Wang and his team developed a hybrid solar-cell material that can be rolled up and then printed on a backing surface. 'By driving the cost of production down and maintaining quality with the hybrid, we can create a product that can be competitive with silicon-based products,' Wang notes.

The BU findings illustrate that some of the biggest advances in solar technology are coming as a result of university research, according to getsolar.com.