Chih-hung Chang, an associate professor of chemical engineering at Oregon State University, is developing a new approach to solar energy which he believes may dramatically lower their cost while reducing waste and environmental impacts. Currently, thin-film solar cells are made using methods such as sputtering, evaporation and electrodeposition. Those processes can be time-consuming, or require expensive vacuum systems or exotic chemicals that raise production costs. An alternative approch is to use chemical bath deposition. This is a low-cost deposition technique that was developed more than a century ago. The problem is that changes in the growth solution over time make … Continue Reading →