Photoenergy And Thin Film Materials

This book provides the latest research & developments and future trends in photoenergy and thin film materials—two important areas that have the potential to spearhead the future of the industry. Photoenergy materials are expected to be a next generation class of materials to provide secure, safe, sustainable and affordable energy. Photoenergy devices are known to convert the sunlight into electricity. These types of devices are simple in design with a major advantage as they are stand-alone systems able to provide megawatts of power. They have been applied as a power source for solar home systems, remote buildings, water pumping, megawatt scale power plants, satellites, communications, and space vehicles. With such a list of enormous applications, the demand for photoenergy devices is growing every year. On the other hand, thin films coating, which can be defined as the barriers of surface science, the fields of materials science and applied physics are progressing as a unified discipline of scientific industry. A thin film can be termed as a very fine, or thin layer of material coated on a particular surface, that can be in the range of a nanometer in thickness to several micrometers in size. Thin films are applied in numerous areas ranging from protection purposes to electronic semiconductor devices. The 16 chapters in this volume, all written by subject matter experts, demonstrate the claim that both photoenergy and thin film materials have the potential to be the future of industry.

This book provides a fundamental discussion, latest research & developments, and the future of thin films and photoenergy materials, two developing areas that have the potential to spearhead the future of industry. Photoenergy materials are expected to be a next generation key material to provide secure, safe, sustainable and affordable energy. Photoenergy devices are known to convert the sunlight into electricity. This type of devices is very much simple in design with having a major advantage with their structure as stand-alone systems to provide outputs up to megawatts. They have been applied as a power source, solar home systems, remote buildings, water pumping, megawatt scale power plants, satellites, communications, and space vehicles. With such a list of enormous applications, the demand for photoenergy devices is growing every year. On the other hand, thin films coating, which can be defined as fusion of surface science, materials science, and applied physics, are progressing as a unified discipline of scientific industry. A thin film can be termed as a very fine or thin layer of material coated on a particular surface, that can be in the range of a nanometer in thickness to several micrometers in size. Thin films are being applied it a number of fields ranging from protection purposes to electronic semiconductor devices.

This book explores the recent developments, perspectives on future research, and pertinent data from academia, industry, and government research laboratory to discuss fundamental mechanisms as well as processing and applications of advanced metallic and ceramic thin film and coating materials for energy and environmental applications. It is a platform to disseminate the latest research progress related to processing, characterization, and modelling. The authors address both thermal barrier and environmental coatings; magnetic and thermoelectric materials; and solar cell and solid oxide fuel cell materials. It is appropriate supplementary reading for students and primary reading for researchers in materials science and engineering.

Vol.1: Deposition and processing of thin films; Vol.2: Characterization and spectroscopy of thin films; Vol.3: Ferroelectric and dielectric thin films; Vol.4: Semiconductor and superconductor thin films; Vol.5: Nanomaterials and magnetic thin flims

This book provides recent development in thin-film solar cells (TFSC). TFSC have proven the promising approach for terrestrial and space photovoltaics. TFSC have the potential to change the device design and produce high efficiency devices on rigid/flexible substrates with significantly low manufacturing cost. TFSC have several advantages in manufacturing compared to traditional crystalline Si-solar cells like less requirement of materials, can be prepared with earth’s abundant materials, less processing steps, easy to dispose, etc. Several universities/research institutes/industry in India and abroad are involved in the research area of thin-film solar cells. The book helps the readers to find the details about different thin-film technologies and its advancement at one place. Each chapter covers properties of materials, its suitability for PV applications, simple manufacturing processes and recent and past literature survey. The issues related to the development of high efficiency TFSC devices over large area and its commercial and future prospects are discussed.

Efficient clean energy harvesting, conversion, and storage technologies are of immense importance for the sustainable development of human society. To this end, scientists have made significant advances in recent years regarding new materials and devices for improving the energy conversion efficiency for photovoltaics, thermoelectric generation, photoelectrochemical/electrolytic hydrogen generation, and rechargeable metal ion batteries. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a platform for research scientists and engineers in these areas to demonstrate and exchange their latest research findings. This thematic topic undoubtedly represents an extremely important technological direction, covering materials processing, characterization, simulation, and performance evaluation of thin films used in energy harvesting, conversion, and storage.

Sputtered Thin Films: Theory and Fractal Descriptions provides an overview of sputtered thin films and demystifies the concept of fractal theory in analysis of sputtered thin films. It simplifies the use of fractal tools in studying the growth and properties of thin films during sputtering processes. Part 1 of the book describes the basics and theory of thin film sputtering and fractals. Part 2 consists of examples illustrating specific descriptions of thin films using fractal methods. Discusses thin film growth, structure, and properties Covers fractal theory Presents methods of fractal measurements Offers typical examples of fractal descriptions of thin films grown via magnetron sputtering processes Describes application of fractal theory in prediction of thin film growth and properties This reference book is aimed at engineers and scientists working across a variety of disciplines including materials science and metallurgy as well as mechanical, manufacturing, electrical, and biomedical engineering.

This five-volume handbook focuses on processing techniques, characterization methods, and physical properties of thin films (thin layers of insulating, conducting, or semiconductor material). The editor has composed five separate, thematic volumes on thin films of metals, semimetals, glasses, ceramics, alloys, organics, diamonds, graphites, porous materials, noncrystalline solids, supramolecules, polymers, copolymers, biopolymers, composites, blends, activated carbons, intermetallics, chalcogenides, dyes, pigments, nanostructured materials, biomaterials, inorganic/polymer composites, organoceramics, metallocenes, disordered systems, liquid crystals, quasicrystals, and layered structures. Thin films is a field of the utmost importance in today's materials science, electrical engineering and applied solid state physics; with both research and industrial applications in microelectronics, computer manufacturing, and physical devices. Advanced, high-performance computers, high-definition TV, digital camcorders, sensitive broadband imaging systems, flat-panel displays, robotic systems, and medical electronics and diagnostics are but a few examples of miniaturized device technologies that depend the utilization of thin film materials. The Handbook of Thin Films Materials is a comprehensive reference focusing on processing techniques, characterization methods, and physical properties of these thin film materials.

Renewable Energy Technology for Engineers: Principles, Generation, Storage, Economics, and More The future requires substantial growth in renewable energy systems in order to address carbon emissions and climate change, while still improving human life. To meet this challenge, many engineers and other technical professionals need new theoretical and practical knowledge, including greater familiarity with current and emerging renewable technologies. In Chemical Processes in Renewable Energy Systems, Dr. Vivek Utgikar introduces the fundamental principles, transformations, and applications associated with each leading form of renewable energy. Writing for engineering students and practitioners, Utgikar covers solar, biomass, hydro, wind, ocean, and geothermal energy, as well as hybrid systems that integrate generation with storage. He also introduces essential principles of techno-economic analysis, to clarify issues that will continue to inform policy concerning renewable energy systems. Utgikar discusses state-of-the-art, recent developments, as well as enduring scientific and technological principles and transformations, and provides complete references to encourage deeper exploration. The resulting text will help you quickly get up to date and then stay up to date as technological, social, and economic factors evolve. Understand energy's role in society, the limits and risks of fossil sources, and renewable alternatives Compare the leading forms of primary renewable energy and the transformations they make possible Learn how concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) systems improve solar energy utilization Explore complex transformations of biomass energy into electricity, heat, and fuel chemicals Optimize transformations in renewable systems that are primarily mechanical and thermal, such as hydro, wind, ocean, and geothermal Consider engineering issues associated with hybrid systems that combine generation with batteries or other forms of storage Apply principles of techno-economic analysis to renewables to make better policy or business decisions For students, this guide will illuminate both the technical principles and policy perspectives influencing the move to renewables. For practitioners, it offers a refresher and ready reference to implement any renewable energy system, now and in the future. Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.