Page 247 - ISES SWC50

9.8 Research Pioneers 1990-1995

Pietro Altermatt
Country: Switzerland
Year Started Research: 1990
Title of Research: 24% efficient silicon solar
University: UNSW Sydney Australia
Still Active in Research: Yes

Pietro started researching SIPOS cells as a student assistant in Ernst Bucher’s group at Konstanz University,
Germany, in 1990. He joined Martin Green’s group at UNSW in Sydney, Australia, in 1993, for his Master thesis,
supervised by Armin Aberle and Gernot Heiser. In subsequent years, Pietro revived numerical modelling of Si
solar cells and derived the literature value for the intrinsic carrier concentration of Si, consistent with band gap
narrowing and Auger recombination. This formed the basis of the Si solar cell modelling that is standard today.
Pietro contributed to the following laboratory world records at that time: 24% PERL cell in 1994, 25% PERL cell,
18.2% multicrystalline PERL cell, and 21.1% n-type Cz solar cell. His models showed the feasible potential for Si
solar cells, which helped foster large-scale industry investments in Japan and Germany. Pietro moved to Germany
in 2005 to set up a modeling group at Hannover University and ISFH, headed by Rolf Brendel. Pietro extended the
models successfully for the first time to industrially fabricated cells, in collaboration with the German PV industry.
The models triggered for example the removal of phosphorus clusters in the emitter and contributed to efficiency
improvements across the entire PV industry in subsequent years. In 2015, Pietro became Principal Scientist at the
State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology (SKL) at Trina in Changzhou, China, led by P. Verlinden. Pietro’s
modelling and experience from UNSW helped introducing PERC cells in China, and he contributed to the following
world records of industrial, large-area cells at that time: 21.25% multi PERC, 22.13% mono PERC, 19.2% multi
PERC module, 25.05% screen-printed IBC cell, 24.58% i-topCon cell, 23.2% quasi-mono n-type cell, and 23.39%
PERC. Pietro currently promotes the development of transparent passivating contacts for the next generation of
industrial solar cells.

Richard Corkish
Country: Australia
Year Started Research: 1990
Title of Research: Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering. Thesis:
Limits to the Efficiency of Silicon Solar Cells. Supervisor: Professor
Martin A. Green.
University: UNSW, School of Electrical Engineering
Still Active in Research: Yes

Dr Richard Corkish has been working in photovoltaics research and education, mainly at UNSW, since 1990. From
2003 to 2013 he led, as Head of School of Photovoltaic & Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE), the globally
leading photovoltaics research team and pioneering photovoltaics education program at UNSW. In that decade, the
School’s budget approximately quintupled, the student numbers reached almost 600 and SPREE alumni changed
the face of the national and international industries. Dr Corkish is currently Chief Operating officer of the Australian
Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, the premier Australian photovoltaics R&D partnership, an Advisor to the Indian
National Centre for Photovoltaics Research and Education and an Editor for the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics. His
current research activities are life cycle assessment of photovoltaics technologies and photovoltaics recycling. He
has supervised the projects of over 200 students, including for the UNSWERV project, educating through practice
while bringing light and power to remote villages in Vanuatu. He has published over 50 journal papers, book
chapters and books and over 150 conference papers.

ISES SWC50 - The Century of Solar-Stories and Visions | 229