Nanotube Hi-Rises Serve Up Solar Power for Military, Space Missions

AZoNano Nanotechnology News Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) scientists have grown towers composed of carbon nanotubes atop silicon wafers. The nanometer-scale towers, coated with special p-type and n-type semiconductor (p/n) junction materials used to generate current, increase the surface area available to produce electricity. Because photons are reflected from one tier of the structure to another, the towers enable each square centimeter of photovoltaic cell to extract more energy from sunlight, a critical requirement for weight-sensitive equipment carried by troops or launched into space. The cells could provide an alternate power source for the growing number of electronic devices soldiers use in the field, and for spacecraft, reducing their dependence upon heavy batteries. Read the article