Fall 2013, Course Information
PHYS 4580,
Molecular and Condensed Matter Laboratory
PHYS 6/7280, Photovoltaic
Materials and Device Physics Laboratory
Instructors: Randy Ellingson and Mike Heben
PHYS 4580, PHYS 6/7280 Introduction, Syllabus, and General Information (updated Oct. 8, 2013)
Class Schedule:
Lecture: Tuesday, 1:00 - 1:50 pm, in R1 2000N.
Lab: Tuesday, 2:00 - 5:50 pm, in R1 1070. The lab is also open Wednesday 1 - 5 pm, and Thursday 1 - 5 pm -- and can be accessed other days/hours during the week upon your request (let us know the day/time you intend to use the lab, and we'll ensure you have access and if possible one of us will try to be available for assistance). You should use these times to improve your experimental setup, understanding, and further pursue the lab measurement goals.
Lab Reports: Lab reports are due* on Tuesdays at noon. Late Policy: 1 through 6 days late: 2% deduction per day (may be waived with communication/approval, and larger deductions (5% per day) may apply to students repeatedly submitting late reports). More than 7 days late: 50% loss of credit. More than 14 days late: 0% credit.
Final Exam (Project):
Your final project will be based on a single 2-hour laboratory session in which you'll be asked to perform and/or describe specific measurements on a specific photovoltaic material or sample using the equipment, capabilities, and skills you develop during the semester. Each student will be tested individually on all aspects of the hardware, software, and principles of the measurement system, as well as the materials physics relevant to photovoltaic devices. We may, or may not, need to use Finals Week to schedule some of these Project exams.
Lectures:
August 20, 2013: Lecture #1 - Introduction and Course Overview
Lab #1 Guide -- lab report due Tuesday, August 27 (by noon).
Getting Started With Igor Pro. Igor Pro Exercises (optional). Data files: Gaussian data, exponential data
August 27: Lecture #2 - Measurement of the Tunable Light Source's Output Spectrum
Lab #2 Guide -- draft lab report due Tuesday, Sept. 3 (by noon).
September 3: Lecture #3 - Spectral Measurements Using Lock-in Amplification
Lab #2.5 Guide (updated version of Lab #2 Guide) - final lab report due Tuesday, Sept. 10 at noon.
Grating Efficiency data -- for unpolarized light (average of S and P response), % Reflectance vs. Aluminum, vs wavelength in microns
September 10: No Lecture or Lab this week.
September 17: Optical and Electrical Properties of Transparent Conductors
Lab #3 Guide (two-week lab, with report due October 3rd (by noon)
September 24: Optical and Electrical Properties of Transparent Conductors (continued)
October 1: No class or lab -- Fall Break.
October 8: Determination of Absorption Coefficient and Band Gap Energy for CdS, CdTe, and c-Si
Lab Guide #4 (two-week lab, with report due Tuesday Oct. 22 by noon)
October 15: Review of Lab #4 goals and challenges
October 22: Current-Density Measurements: what they reveal about solar cells
October 29: Review of Lab #5 goals and challenges
November 5: Spectral Response of a PV Cell
Lab Guide #6: External Quantum Efficiency Measurements (three week lab, with report due Nov. 26th). Note that the XRD report is also due Nov. 26th, so work ahead wherever possible.
November 12: Characterization of Polycrystalline Semiconductor Thin Films Using X-Ray Diffraction
November 19: Review of Lab #6 and Lab #7 goals and challenges
November 26: No class or lab -- Thanksgiving Week break Nov. 27-29
Reference Files and Additional Resources
Handle With Care - notes on caring for instruments and optics
Quizzes (tentative schedule)
Quiz #1 - September 17, 2013
Quiz #2 - October 15, 2013
Quiz #3 - November 19, 2013