Fall 2014, Course Information
PHYS 4580, Molecular and Condensed Matter Laboratory 
PHYS 6/7280, Photovoltaic Materials and Device Physics Laboratory

Instructors: Randy Ellingson and Mike Heben

Teaching Assistant:  Neale Haugen

PHYS 4580, PHYS 6/7280 (draft) Introduction, Syllabus, and General Information (updated November 24, 2014)

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 other days/hours during the week (let us know if you find the lab locked).  For those of you with the time and desire to do so, additional time in the lab can be used to improve your experimental measurements and to improve the quality of your data.

Lab Reports:  Please print your lab reports and submit them to us by 1 pm (start of lecture) on the Tuesday they are due.  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 one-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 25, 26, 2014:  Lecture #1 - Introduction and Course Overview

  • Lab #1 Guide (now with addendum)-- lab report due Tuesday, September 9th by 1 pm.

  • Getting Started With Igor Pro.    Igor Pro Exercises (optional).  Data files:  Gaussian data,  exponential data

• September 2:  Lecture #2 - Thermopile Detection Setup;  Data Acquisition by Analog to Digital Conversion

•  September 9:  Lecture #3 - Characterization of Spectral Output of Light Source

  • Lab #2 Guide -- Measurement of Illumination Spectrum -- draft lab report due Sept. 16;  final lab report due Sept. 23.

  • Grating Efficiency data -- for unpolarized light (average of S and P response), % Reflectance vs. Aluminum, vs wavelength in microns

• September 16:  Lecture #4 - Measurement of Light by Lock-In Detection

• September 23:  Lecture #5 - Transparent Conductors

  • Lab #3 Guide -- Optical Properties of Transparent Conductors

• September 30:  Lecture #6 - Transparent Conductors - continued

• October 7:  Lab #3 - continued (report due Friday Oct. 10)

• October 14:  No lecture or lab this week (Fall Break).  Lab open Wednesday through Friday this week.

• October 21:  Absorption coefficients of semiconductor thin films

  • Lab Guide #4 -- Optical Determination of Absorption Coefficient and Band Gap Energy of CdS, CdTe, and c-Si (report due Nov. 4 at 1 pm)

• October 28: Carrier Type, Density, and Mobility Determination (Hall Effect)

• November 4:  Performance Characterization:  Current vs. Voltage, and Quantum Efficiency (aka Spectral Response)

  • Lab Guide #5a -- J-V Characterization of a Si Photodiode (report due Dec. 2, 1 pm)

  • Lab Guide #5b -- External Quantum Efficiency Measurement (report due Dec. 2, 1 pm)

• November 11:  Veterans Day (no class) -- Lab open Monday, and Wednesday through Friday this week.

• November 18:  J-V and EQE Characterization of a Si Photodiode - continued (Lab Report 5 (a and b) due Dec. 2, 1 pm)

  • Quiz #3

• November 25:  X-Ray Diffraction (Thanksgiving Break Nov. 26-28)

  • Lab Guide #6 -- XRD Characterization of Polycrystalline Thin Films

• December 2:  X-Ray Diffraction (continued, if necessary), and Thin Film Material Deposition

• December 9:  Open Question and Answer, and review of course concepts (12 - 1 pm) 

• December 9:  Final Project (one-hour-long one-to-one exam with instructors)

Reference Files and Additional Resources

• Quiz #1 - September 16, 2014

• Quiz #2 - October 21, 2014

• Quiz #3 - November 18, 2014