Concept

In this four day interdisciplinary workshop concrete problems from industry are being modelled and mathematically analysed.

The workshop invites representatives from industry to give a presentation on their problems on its first day. Afterwards the scientists form small teams, each of them focussing on one particular problem, followed by detailed discussion with the respective industrial representative. Brainstorming and intensive research will continue during the following days. During that time it is important for each team to have the possibility to query the industrial partner. On the afternoon of the fourth day a member of each team will present their ideas and results, including the models developed and, possibly, solutions.

Topic

The present topic "Technologies of thin film solar cells" considers materials and technological processes for the development of hightly efficient thin film solar cells. Important issues concern mathematical modelling and numerical simulations of the light scattering properties of rough interfaces in solar cells, phase transitions during laser crystallization, optimization of CIGS layer structures.

Schedule

Goals of the Workshop

In an age of rapid technological development it will become ever more important to recognize the arising opportunities for the improvement and new development of products and for the refinement and increase of efficiency of production processes. 
This workshop gives industrial partners the chance to aim for innovative solutions and new perspectives for a problem of their interest  with the backing of an interdisciplinary team of expert scientists from 
universities and research institutes. 

Industrial partners will have the opportunity to 

• obtain a model accessible to mathematical analysis,
• employ state of the art mathematical methods for answering  the relevant questions,
• improve and adapt their numerical tools by taking advantage of state of the art numerical algorithms, 
• combine existing solution procedures with optimization methods,
• develop new ideas and perspectives.

The workshop is also meant to initiate longer term collaboration with a small team of scientists and PhD students to further investigate particular aspects of the problem and develop new numerical software.

Competency

• The DFG Research Center MATHEON, Mathematics for Key Technologies is a network of applied mathematics in Berlin. More than 38 professors and 150 scientific staff conduct research on concrete problems related to key technologies and aim at the development of new theoretical methods to solve highly complex problems.
  
• The Weierstrass Insitute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics has long term experiences with project oriented research in applied mathematics. The WIAS pursues the entire problem-solving process from the interdisciplinary modeling over the theoretical  mathematical analysis of the model to concrete numerical simulations of concrete economic and technological problems.
  
• The Hahn-Meitner Institute conducts fundamental and applied research with the focus on Structural Research and Solar Energy Research. In cooperation with the Solar Energy Research Association the institute establishes the scientific foundations for the development of novel solar cells.
  
• Apart from the expertise of the participating scientists, the workshop offers the infrastructure of the participating universities and institutes of Berlin, in particular access to state of the art numerical software  and high performance computers.