Solarup - Eu Horizon Eic 2021 Pathfinder Open

solarup directly addresses the ever louder call for sustainable energy production. the proposed solar energy conversion technology will reduce dependence on critical raw materials and overcome efficiency thresholds to unlock the future of flexible photovoltaic (pv) solar cells for mass deployment in smart buildings, soft robotics, wearable electronics, and other consumer products. our main innovations lie in nanoengineering zinc phosphide (zn3p2) for use as an earth-abundant direct bandgap semiconductor absorber and combined with a novel device architecture we target cell efficiency enhancements of up to 15%. advanced manufacturing techniques such as nanoimprinting and metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy will be explored to open industrially scalable routes to synthesise high quality zn3p2 films. moreover, our approach will allow reuse of the growth substrate, making sustainability another core element of solarup’s radical vision. optimisation of both the absorber structure and device a