Apr 27, 2021
DAAD scholarship holder at TU Dresden wants to use laser processing to increase the performance of new types of solar cells
Since April 1, 2021, Eng. Herman Heffner is working as a DAAD scholar at the Chair of Laser-Based Methods for Large-Scale Surface Structuring of Prof. Andrés Lasagni. Heffner is a PhD student from Argentina conducting research at the Universidad Nacional del Sur (Bahía Blanca, Argentina) on a grant from the National Council for Science and Technology (CONICET). In 2019, he was selected in a national call to conduct high-level research during a 12-month research stay as part of a doctoral program at a German university. The awarded "ALE-ARG" scholarship is a result of many years of collaboration between the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Argentina and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Heffner studied electrical engineering at the Universidad Nacional del Comahue in Argentina until 2017 and is now pursuing a doctorate on the topic: "Nanomaterials from titanium dioxide for dye-sensitized solar cells." So far, his research has focused on the theoretical study of titanium dioxide at the atomic scale using density functional theory. It is expected that the results of his dissertation will help the photovoltaic research community in the future to understand physical mechanisms that limit the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells and to find ways to overcome current technological limitations.
During the research stay at TU Dresden, he will apply innovative laser-based methods such as "Direct Laser Interference Patterning" to treat surfaces of several novel materials relevant to next-generation photovoltaics. These include the bronze phase of titanium dioxide, the so-called "black" TiO2, transparent electrodes, and metallic layers based on deposited nanoparticles. In this way, he is exploring the possibility of modifying the topography and structure of these materials and evaluating the effects of such surface modifications on solar cells.
The DAAD scholarship holder and his wife made a 30-hour journey to get to Dresden. Both are very impressed by how rich in history the city of Dresden is: "I come from a 200-year-old country, very young compared to Germany. Behind every inch of this city is a story that I would like to get to know with as much detail as possible." In addition, Dresden's economic and scientific expertise also drew him to the city, which is steeped in culture: "Dresden is home to several photovoltaic and microelectronic industries, so there is no better place to pursue my passion. I also came here to work with the best laser-based surface functionalization team in the world, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."