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Mission
The research activity carried on in the lab of Alessandro
Romeo is focused on the material research for photovoltaic
applications. Within collaborations with several
research institutes, Alessandro Romeo has presented
different work on CdTe solar cells in particular
application of innovative substrates, back contacts
and new configurations.
One important part
of the research activity is about the fabrication
of CdTe solar cells on flexible substrates. Together
with the thin film physics group at the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology a world record efficiency
of 11.4% for flexible CdTe solar cells with a polymer
substrate have been achieved. Particular work has
been done on the study and optimization of deposition
of indium tin oxide (ITO) on the polymides at high
temperature.
A second part focuses in the development of alternative
back contact that allow not only high stability
but also bifacial configuration. The cells fabricated
with a transparent conductive oxide as back contact
have performed efficiencies above 10% absorbing
light from both sides.
Moreover an alternative activation treatment for
high vacuum evaporated CdTe solar cells by HCFC
have been introduced for the first time.
Alessandro Romeo has also previously worked on CuInGaSe2
solar cells, in particular for the preparation of
alternative buffer layers, preparation of photovoltaic
devices by co-evaporation and by precursor preparation
with electron beam gun and he is presently preparing
a project for CIGS solar cells on innovative substrates.
Activities on the optimization of laser scribing
for thin film solar cells are also acknowledged.
Alessandro Romeo is
since 2007 a consultant for the industrialization
project for a 15MW CdTe photovoltaic production
plant near Milan, the first thin film module fabrication
facility in Italy.
The Laboratory for
Applied Physics in Verona can have access to different
characterization and deposition machines like vacuum
evaporation, chemical bath deposition, I-V and C-V
measurement system, Atomic force microscopy, scanning
electron microscopy, micro-raman, XRD, etc…
Collaborations with Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
(ETHZ), University of Parma, University of Torino,
Hahn Meitner Institute Berlin, Zentrum fuer Sonnenergie
und Wasserstoff Stuttgart, University of Loughborough,
Electricite de France (EdF), Marcegaglia Group,
etc… are acknowledged.
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