South Korean engineers have developed a “large” single crystal compound material that can be used to make next generation sensors and solar fuel cells, the government said Wednesday.

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) team led by Ha Jang-ho successfully fabricated the single crystal material made from cadmium, zinc and tellurium (CZT) to a diameter of two inches, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said.
The successful development makes South Korea the sixth country in the world after France, the United States, Britain, Canada, Israel to make such a hi-tech material.

Global demand for the CZT compound is on the rise since it can be used to make radiation sensors to detect cancer growth, space telescopes, and solar energy cells. It can also be utilized by countries to counter radioactive terrorist threats caused by so-called dirty bombs.

“The compound has a high energy bandgap that permits sensors to operate without additional cooling systems at room temperatures,” Ha said. He said this translates into smaller sized sensors.

The convergence technology expert, in addition, said that because the compound has roughly twice the energy conversion capabilities compared to an ordinary silicon-based semiconductor materials, it can be used to make more compact solar cells.

“Laboratory tests showed that the overall electric qualities of the locally built single crystal array is superior to imports,” he claimed.

The science ministry, which provided research and development support, said the breakthrough by KAERI engineers is noteworthy since other countries do not share the manufacturing knowhow for the material.

It said indigenous development could allow the country to make inroads into the future sensor and solar cell markets.

The global market related to various sensors using radiation stands at around $1.1 billion and is expected to grow 10 percent annually in the near future. Of the total, CZT sensors make up $30 million, although it is growing at a faster pace compared to other arrays.

YonhapNewsAgency

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