The University of Oslo is closed. Torunn Kjeldstad's PhD defence will therefore be fully digital and streamed directly using Zoom. The host of the session will moderate the technicalities while the chair of the defence will moderate the disputation.
Ex auditorio questions: the chair of the defence will invite the audience to ask ex auditorio questions either written or oral. This can be requested by clicking 'Participants -> Raise hand'.
Trial lecture
Digital recording of the trial lecture
Conferral summary / Kreeringssammendrag
Torunn Kjeldstad har forsket på en unik kombinasjon av aluminium nanotråder i silisum. Dette materialet har potensiale til bruk i mer effektive solceller og batterier. Hun har funnet en enkel og billig metode for å «se» nanotrådene og håper det kan gjøre det lettere for andre forskere videre.
Main research findings / Hovedfunn
To turn away from the fossile based technologies, the world needs more efficient ways of harvesting, storing and transporting energy. By “nanosizing” materials, making them in the range of a few nanometers, we can change their respective material properties. And, this can be a way of solving the challenges we face with already known materials such as silicon.
This thesis is focused on a specific type of nanostructure, were aluminum nanowires are used to make a unique porous silicon. The work investigates its properties towards use in applications such as solar cells and batteries. Torunn Kjeldstad has unraveled some of the material properties and brought more understanding of how the material can move closer to future applications.
Kjeldstad has studied the fundamental material properties before, after and during the removal of the aluminum nanowires through a broad range of characterization methods. An important result of this work is how a relatively simple and cheap method can be used to characterize the nanowires and the successful removal of them.