Available Facilities

• D17 – Reflectometer

  Advanced Characterization

  

  • Neutron reflectometry with horizontal scattering geometry to measure the structure of thin films
  • Fast kinetic measurements, magnetic studies, and off-specular scattering analysis—critical for characterizing thin-film interfaces and surface phenomena in PV devices
  • Initial reflectometry experiments on PV cells gave unique insight into the distributions of light atoms like oxygen and hydrogen across interfaces between silicon and conducting metal oxides

• NeXT – Neutron and X-Ray Tomography

  Advanced Characterization

  

  • Simultaneous neutron and X-ray tomographies
  • Spatial resolution (~4μm) with rapid acquisition times (tomographies in 1.5 seconds)
  • Complex in-situ testing apparatus, enabling real-time monitoring of materials under various thermo-chemo-hydro-mechanical conditions
  • Unraveling the coupled processes involved in photovoltaic material degradation