Professor Bram Hoex
2020, Graduate of the Australian聽Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)
2016, Graduate Certification in University Learning and Teaching (GCULT), UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
2008, PhD degree in Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
2003, MSc degree in Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Professor Bram Hoex completed a MSc degree and PhD degree in Applied Physics from the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands. His PhD work on functional thin films for high-efficiency solar cells was recognised by both the SolarWorld 鈥淛unior Einstein鈥 and Leverhulme 鈥淭echnology Transfer鈥 awards. After completing his PhD degree in 2008, he joined the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) as head of the Photovoltaic Characterization group. From 2012 to the end of 2014 he was Director of the Silicon Materials and Solar Cells Cluster as well as group leader Monocrystalline Silicon Wafer Solar Cells. In 2015 he joined the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) at UNSW Australia where he currently is Deputy Head of School (Research) and Director, International Strategy. His focusses聽on developing and applying nanoscale thin films in a wide range of renewable energy devices to improve their performance, solar cell/module reliability, as well as financial and performance modelling of gigascale solar farms. He is best known for his groundbreaking work on aluminium oxide for crystalline silicon surface passivation which is now the de facto standard for industrial PERC and TOPCon solar cells. He also pioneered the application of atomic layer deposition for silicon wafer solar cell manufacturing. During his career, he has raised over A$ 80 million in competitive research funding of which A$ 23 million as Lead聽Investigator. He has published over 250 journal and conference papers and he has an h-index of 42. In 2016 he was awarded the mid-career 鈥淚EEE PVSC Young Professional Award鈥 for his significant contributions and his potential as a future leader in the field of photovoltaics and in 2018 he was selected as one of the "Solar 40 under 40" by Renewable Energy World.
Specialties: High-efficiency silicon wafer solar cells, solar energy, surface passivation, advanced characterisation of photovoltaic devices and materials.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2022 鈥 2027, Lead Investigator, 鈥淥ptimal O&M-strategy and LCOE-modelling for ground-mounted PV鈥, ARENA Ultra Low Cost Solar PV Research and Development Round, $3.7M.
2022 鈥 2027, Chief Investigator, 鈥淟ow cost and sustainable PV systems for the terawatt scale鈥, ARENA Ultra Low Cost Solar PV Research and Development Round, $3.1M.
2022 鈥 2027, Chief Investigator, 鈥淟ow cost and sustainable PV systems for the terawatt scale鈥, ARENA Ultra Low Cost Solar PV Research and Development Round, $2.4M.
2022 鈥 2027, Chief Investigator, 鈥淓fficient and Stable Chalcogenide-Si tandem cells: integrating commercialized PV technologies鈥, ARENA Ultra Low Cost Solar PV Research and Development Round, $3.1M
2022 鈥 2027, Chief Investigator, 鈥淪ilver-lean screen printing for sustainable low-cost industrial PV manufacturing at the terawatt scale鈥, ARENA Ultra Low Cost Solar PV Research and Development Round, $3.3M.
2022 鈥 2027, Chief Investigator, 鈥淟ow-cost 30% efficiency silicon photovoltaic solar cells achieved through singlet fission鈥, ARENA Ultra Low Cost Solar PV Research and Development Round, $4.8M.
2022 鈥 2022, Lead Investigator, 鈥淓xtraterrestrial Radiation Tolerant Silicon Solar Cells鈥, CRC for SmartSat Project, $99k.
2022 鈥 2025, Chief Investigator, 鈥淣onlinear Optical Metrology of Electronic Interfaces for Silicon Devices鈥, ARC Linkage, 417k.
2022 鈥 2025, Chief Investigator, 鈥淔abrication of silicon solar cells in a Lunar-like vacuum environment鈥, ARC Linkage, $417k
2022 鈥 2024, Chief Investigator, 鈥淩evival of silicon solar cells for space applications鈥, ARC Linkage, $437k.
2022 鈥 2024, Chief Investigator, 鈥淯ltrathin III-V Solar Cells via Crack-Assisted Layer Exfoliation鈥, ARC Discovery, $480k
2021 鈥 2023, Chief Investigator, 鈥淓nergy Data Platform (EDP)鈥, ARENA ACAP Infrastructure Round 2, A$ 172k
2021 鈥 2023, Lead Investigator, 鈥淟oana upgrade鈥, ARENA ACAP Infrastructure Round 2, A$ 105k
2021 鈥 2023, Lead investigator, 鈥淪ingle side etching system鈥, ARENA ACAP Infrastructure Round 1, A$ 181k
2020 鈥 2022, Chief Investigator, 鈥淭andem Cluster鈥, ARENA ACAP Infrastructure Round 2, budget A$ 4.6M
2020 鈥 2022, Lead Investigator, 鈥淐limate chamber with integrated solar simulator and in situ current-voltage measurements鈥, ARENA ACAP Infrastructure Round 1, budget A$ 678k.
2018 鈥 2021, Lead Investigator, 鈥淎dvanced high-efficiency silicon solar cells employing innovative atomic scale engineered surface and contact passivation layers鈥, ARENA BH008, budget A$ 2.0M.
2018 鈥 2021, Chief Investigator, 鈥淗ydrogenated and Hybrid Heterojunction p-type Silicon PV Cells R&D Project鈥, ARENA BH007, budget A$ 1.7M plus A$ 0.5M from industry.
2018 - 2021, Chief Investigator, 鈥淚ntegrating industrial black silicon with high efficiency multicrystalline solar cells鈥, ARENA DP010, budget A$0.5M plus A$ 0.5M from industry.
2018 鈥 2021, Chief Investigator, 鈥淒evelopment of Beyond 20% Efficiency Kesterite (CZTSSe) Solar Cells: win the PV race with sustainable low-cost, low-toxic and stable materials鈥, ARENA XH004, budget A$ 1.3M.
2018 鈥 2021, Investigator, 鈥淓fficient Adamantine Thin-Film on Silicon Tandem Cells: The Next Step in Commercial Cell Evolution鈥, ARENA MG020, budget A$ 3.2M.
2017 鈥 2021, Chief Investigator, 鈥淒evelopment and commercialisation of high efficiency silicon solar cell technology鈥, ARENA 1-A060-extension, budget A$ 2.5M.
2017 鈥 2020, Chief Investigator, 鈥淎dvanced manufacturing of solar cells using cutting-edge hydrogenation鈥, Global Innovation Linkages (Department of Industry, Innovation and Science), budget A$ 1M.
2017 鈥 2020,聽Chief Investigator, 鈥淟ow cost, high efficiency Copper-Zinc-Tin-Sulphide (CZTS) on silicon multi-junction solar cells鈥, USO028-extension, Budget A$ 1.1M.
2017 鈥 2020,聽Chief Investigator, 鈥淥vercoming the performance and cost limitations of commercial solar cells鈥, 1-A060, ARENA-ASI Core Project Funding Partner Contribution (Lerri Solar Technology), budget A$ 1.04M
2017, Chief Investigator, 鈥淒ual chamber evaporator鈥, UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme, budget A$ 150k.
2016 鈥 2019,聽Chief Investigator, 鈥淒evelopment and commercialisation of UNSW鈥檚 advanced hydrogenation (ah) technology鈥, 1-A060, ARENA-ASI Core Project Funding Partner Contribution (SolarWorld Innovations), budget A$ 1.04M
2016 - 2017, Lead Investigator, 鈥淚mpact aluminium oxide on screen-printed contacts鈥, Jiangsu Leadmicro nano-equipment technology, budget A$ 20k.
2016 鈥 2019, Chief Investigator, 鈥淒evelopment and commercialisation of high efficiency silicon solar cell technology鈥, 1-A060, ARENA-ASI Core Project Funding Partner Contribution (CEC Energy Pt. Ltd.), budget A$ 1.04M
2016 鈥 2019, Co-Lead Investigator, 鈥Passivated hole contacts for next-generation industrial silicon wafer solar cells鈥. NPR9-021-2-009, budget A$ 1M.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
2014, Lead Investigator, 鈥淐ost-effective silicon wafer solar cells using inkjet-printed front metallisation鈥, NRF2014EWT-EIRP001-016, budget A$ 1.3M. Industry partner Roth & Rau.
2014,听Chief Investigator, 鈥淎dvanced metallization concepts enabling cost reduction for industrial high-efficiency silicon wafer solar cells鈥, NRF2013EWT-EIRP002-007, budget S$ 5.4M. Industry partner MECO.
2014,听Chief Investigator, 鈥淔easibility of multicrystalline silicon aluminium local back surface solar cells鈥, NRF2013EWT-EIRP002-005, budget S$ 500k. Industry partner REC Solar.
2013 - 2016, Chief Investigator, 鈥淣ovel dielectric coatings for silicon wafer solar cells鈥, NRF2012EWT-EIRP001-014, budget S$ 1.2M. Industry partner DSM.
2013 鈥 2019,聽Lead Investigator, 鈥淚on implantation for low-cost high-efficiency silicon wafer solar cells鈥, NRF2012EWT-EIRP001-023, budget S$ 5.6M. Industry partner Intevac.
2012 鈥 2017,聽Lead Investigator, 鈥淯ltrafast atomic layer deposition for cost-efficient high-efficiency silicon wafer solar cells鈥, NRF2011 EWT-CERP001-018, budget S$ 3.3M + S$ 390k (industry). Industry partners: SoLayTec and AkzoNobel.
2011 鈥 2017,聽Chief Investigator, 鈥淒evelopment of high-efficiency crystalline/amorphous silicon heterojunction solar cells on thin wafers鈥, NRF2010EWT-CERP001-022, budget S$4.8M. Industry partners: Singulus, DEK, DuPont, REC Solar, and First Philec
2010 鈥 2013,聽Chief Investigator, 鈥淪creen-printed all-back-contact silicon wafer solar cel鈥, budget S$ 4.7M. Industry partner Trina Solar.聽聽聽聽
2009 鈥 2012,聽Lead Investigator, 鈥淒evelopment of industrial high-efficiency multicrystalline silicon wafer solar cells 鈥 Application of novel cell architectures and manufacturing technologies鈥, NRF2009EWT-CERP001-056, budget S$ 3.9M + S$ 330k (industry). Industry partner REC Solar.
2018, Staff Excellence Award in Research Excellence, Faculty of Engineering, UNSW Sydney.
2018, Listed on the 鈥淪olar 40 under 40鈥 list from Renewable Energy World
2018, UNSW Scientia Fellowship, UNSW Sydney.
2017,聽Arc Postgraduate Council Supervisor Award, UNSW Sydney
2016,聽IEEE PVSC Young Professional Award, arguably the most prestigious mid-career price in the field of photovoltaics
2014, Shortlisted for 鈥淵oung Scientist Award 2014鈥, Singapore
2013, Shortlisted for 鈥淵oung Scientist Award 2013鈥, Singapore
2013, Nominated for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology Review TR35 list for world鈥檚 young innovators
2011,聽鈥淏est Poster Award鈥 in Symposium O at the ICMAT 2011 meeting (co-author)
2011, 鈥淏est Poster Award鈥 at the 37th IEEE PVSC meeting (co-author)
2011,聽Nominated for the MIT Technology Review TR35 list for world鈥檚 young innovators
2010,聽Nominated for the MIT Technology Review TR35 list for world鈥檚 young innovators
2008,聽鈥淏est Poster Award鈥 at the 33rd IEEE PVSC meeting (presenting author)
2008,聽SolarWorld 鈥淛unior Einstein Award鈥 for best international PhD thesis in the field of photovoltaic research
2008,聽Leverhulme Trust 鈥淭echnology Transfer Award鈥 of 鈧70,000 for the successful transfer of technology from academia to industry in the Netherlands
2008,聽鈥淏est Oral Presentation鈥 Award at the IUMRS-ICEM 2008 meeting, Sydney, Australia
Solar cells convert light to electricity, and we are always aiming for the highest energy conversion efficiency at the lowest costs. The efficiency potential of a single junction solar cell is governed by the material properties of the absorber material(s). However, the efficiency of actual devices is significantly lower due to non-optimal optical and electronic properties of the device.
Our research focusses on the application and optimisation of thin films in a wide range of solar cells in order to minimise optical and electronic losses. In particular electronic losses can be minimised by the application of multifunctional thin films such as interface passivation layers or electron or hole transport layers. The best results can be achieved when the composition of these thin films can be controlled with atomic layer precision, and this can be achieved by atomic layer deposition. You can find more information about our work on .