Dr. Arno H.M. Smets
Dr. Arno H.M. Smets is Professor in Solar Energy in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Delft University of Technology. From 2005-2010 he worked at the Research Center for Photovoltaics at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tsukuba Japan. His research work is focused on processing of thin silicon films, innovative materials and new concepts for photovoltaic applications.
He is lecturer for BSc and MSc courses on Photovoltaics and Sustainable Energy at TU Delft. His online edX course on Solar Energy attracted over 150.000 students worldwide. He is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
Arno Smets is the winner of the first-ever edX Prize for his exceptional contributions in online teaching and learning.
Research Interest
Arno Smets has worked on a wide variety of topics related to the plasma processing of thin silicon films for photovoltaic applications, mainly focused on second generation technology. Included among his many research topics and achievements are: plasma technology development, development of high deposition rates of hydrogenated amorphous and microcrystalline silicon, large area deposition, development of novel in-situ diagnostics to monitor plasma processes, plasma-surface interaction and thin film growth, study of dust generation in plasma environments, study of the mechanisms involved in thin silicon growth with respect to deposition rate, temperature and ion induced film-modifications, fundamental understanding of microstructures and related properties of thin silicon films, study of instable thin silicon properties related to the Staebler-Wronski effect or oxidation of thin silicon films, processing of thin film silicon based photovoltaic devices and development of novel concepts to further enhance the efficiencies of thin film silicon photovoltaic devices.
Position
Professor in Solar Energy in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Delft University of Technology
Degrees
PhD in Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology
MSc in Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology
Faculty
Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
A.H.M.Smets@tudelft.nl
Recent publications:
- Han, L, Abdi, FF, Krol, R van de, Liu, R, Huang, Z, Lewerenz, HJ, Dam, B, Zeman, M & Smets, AHM (2014). Efficient water-splitting device based on a bismuth vanadate photoanode and thin-film silicon solar cells. ChemSusChem (Print): chemistry & sustainability, energy & materials, 7(10), 2832-2838.
- Han, L, Abdi, FF, Perez Rodriguez, P, Dam, B, Krol, R van de, Zeman, M & Smets, AHM (2014). Optimization of amorphous silicon double junction solar cells for an efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting device based on a bismuth vanadate photoanode. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 16(9), 4220-4229.
- Isabella, O, Smets, AHM & Zeman, M (2014). Thin-film silicon-based quadruple junction solar cells approaching 20% conversion efficiency. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 129, 82-89.
- Melskens, J, Schouten, M, Santbergen, R, Fischer, M, Vasudevan, RA, Vlies, DJ van der, Quax, RJV, Heirman, SGM, Jaeger, K, Demontis, V, Zeman, M & Smets, AHM (2014). In situ manipulation of the sub gap states in hydrogenated amorphous silicon monitored by advanced application of Fourier transform photocurrent spectroscopy. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 129, 70-81.
- Melskens, J, Schouten, M, Mannheim, A., Vullers, A.S., Mohammadian, Y., Eijt, SWH , Schut, H , Matsui, T., Zeman, M & Smets, AHM (2014). The nature and the kinetics of light-induced defect creation in hydrogenated amorphous silicon films and solar cells. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 4(6), 1331-1336.