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April 09 Issue - Employee Monthly Magazine Lab technology to ENABLE energy independence Todd Williamson and
Mark Hoffbauer examine
a thin film semiconductor
wafer in front of the
ENABLE instrument at the
Laboratory. Photo by Sandra Valdez
Energy will be a defining issue for the next generation, according to Mark Hoffbauer of Chemistry Division. So, each day the 23-year Laboratory veteran lends his expertise to helping the nation achieve energy independence. Hoffbauer pioneered a cutting-edge technology called ENABLE, a process that grows nitride thin films. Using ENABLE to create photovoltaic devices, he aims to more efficiently convert the sun’s energy into useable electrical current than is now possible. ENABLE, which stands for Energetic Neutral Atom Beam Lithography and Epitaxy, earned Hoffbauer an R&D 100 Award in 2006. Today, he and his colleague Todd Williamson, also of Chemistry Division, are collaborating with the solar materials team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on prototype photovoltaic device development. “ENABLE technology allows us to grow materials at lower temperatures taking advantage of the kinetic energy of nitrogen or oxygen atoms to readily overcome barriers that otherwise often require high temperatures,” Hoffbauer said. “What’s exciting is that when it comes to energy and flux of atoms, we currently have no real competition from anywhere else, making our capability very unique.” Hoffbauer, who holds a doctorate in chemical physics from the University of Minnesota, explained that growing thin films and etching minute features are fundamental to the fabrication of modern semiconductors, photovoltaic devices, light-emitting diodes, solid-state lasers, and other technologies important to our nation’s energy security. “This technology can create high-quality semiconducting Indium Gallium Nitride alloys that no one else has been able to produce, Williamson added. “These materials have the potential to revolutionize both the photovoltaics and solid-state lighting industries.” Hoffbauer estimates that commercially available products are three to five years out and that the average person can expect to benefit from the technology by way of both energy production and use. “The Laboratory has so much to contribute to the nation in the area of energy,” Hoffbauer said. “It’s an exciting time, and I believe the materials we are working on will play a major role in ensuring our energy security in the future.” --Mig Owens Other Headlines
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