STTR Phase I: Broadband Silicon-Germanium Based Quantum Dot Materials

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small business Technology Transfer Phase I project is to develop silicon-germanium based quantum dot materials that operate over a wide range of optical wavelengths by virtue of their composition and size distribution. This innovative material will allow the development of broadly absorbing solar cells on silicon with a single junction technology or the development of highly efficient broadband photo-detectors for telecommunications applications. Successful commercialization for this materials technology would improve performance in the areas of high speed telecommunications, and photovoltaic devices for energy conversion. Broadband detector technology for telecommunications could be a very large market since this material would allow for one detection technology to efficiently cover many wavelengths, as well as being integratable with existing silicon IC technology. For use in the photovoltaic industry, the development of a highly efficient visible to near-IR absorbing materials technology would be significant since costs can be lowered.