Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants - Project

This proposal suggest a partnership between researchers from the University of Victoria and Hitachi High-Technologies, Canada Inc. (Hitachi Canada) for the development of a new type of holder for scanning transmission electron microscopes (STEMs). This new holder will allow the implementation of optical and electric excitation inside a STEM. The system will be designed and built by researchers from the University of Victoria under close collaboration with Hitachi Canada's engineers. This holder will be tested to characterize structural, chemical, morphological, electrical and optical properties of nanostructured thin film CdTe/CdS solar cells in operational conditions for the first time. The holder will be developed using a Hitachi HF-3300V scanning transmission electron holography microscope (STEHM) housed at UVic's Center for Advanced Materials and Related Technologies (CAMTEC). The HF-3300V is a customized state-of-the-art system capable of ultra-high image resolution combined with holographic measurements, high energy discrimination and high stability. In order to validate the device, the holder will be tested using thin film solar cells also prepared at UVic's CAMTEC. The solar cells will be nanostructured to allow the investigation of different interfaces by electron-based holographic methods and to provide scattering centers that should alter the light gathering capabilities of the cell. The proposed project will showcase the full capability of the HF-3300V for solar cell characterization and the technology will be transferable to applications in other TEM microscopes. In that sense, the proposed holder (after being fabricated, tested and validated) will be a commercializable technology. The holder will add an unique offering to Hitachi Canada's product line and could be adapted to other types of applications that require optical and/or electronic integration during TEM characterization (for instance, characterization of light emitting devices, electronic components, fuel cells and batteries)._x000D_