Artificial semiconductor quantum dots behave like individual atoms. If they are close enough to interact, atomic-like energy levels broaden out into bands analogous to the conduction and valence bands of a bulk semiconductor. This gives rise to an amorphous-type semiconductor material with electrical and optical properties that may be tuned by adjusting the dot size, density and host material.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

The invention uses micro and nano-fabrication techniques to produce an array of micro-lenses which focus light onto an array of micro-channels tens of micrometers wide. The micro-channels contain specific components, such as thin film selective surfaces, photovoltaic cells or titanium dioxide photo-catalysts.

NewSouth Innovations is seeking industry partners who are interested in furthering the research and in commercialising this exciting new technology.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

A new Extended Gravity Oil-Water Separator (EGOWS®) removes oil down to below 10 parts per million. The EGOWS® success is in its ability to take episodic inflows of oily water and extend the time the oily water mixture spends in a separator tank. The EGOWS® is simple to implement, cost effective and industrially robust. It requires no power, has no moving parts and is virtually maintenance free. The EGOWS® can be used in new installations and can also be applied as a retrofit to existing API separator sites.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

EGOWS® was a finalist in the DuPont Innovation Awards this year. Read more here.

The on-site monitoring of water sources, particularly in remote locations, involves the detection of trace concentrations (often at parts per billion level) of small antigenic compounds such as pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, etc. The demand for such environmental monitoring is increasing due to a range of issues such as the impact of agriculture on drinking water supplies and the threat from global terrorism. Existing analytical methods involve either returning a sample to the laboratory or the use of test kits, involving a number of different technologies, to identify the presence of contaminants. The latter involve user intervention, eg the addition of labelled antibodies, and/or subjective assessment of a colorimetric reading. The UNSW invention provides a single robust sensor that provides a rapid, electrochemical signal to identify the presence and concentration of contaminants.


More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

Inkjet printing is seen as a suitable method for carrying out a range of processes involved in the fabrication of solar cells. This invention makes use of ink jet printing techniques to apply processing agents to the surface of a device under fabrication. This invention reduces the cost of solar cells by further simplification or streamlining of the manufacturing process.

NewSouth Innovations are looking for a collaborative research partner to work with the UNSW to develop the new technology with the view to possible commercialisation through a licensing agreement or trade sale.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

Researchers from the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science at UNSW have developed a platform technology that could be used to express exogenous DNA. Applications may include the production of ethanol from waste plant material and also other valuable metabolites.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

Polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin-flim solar cells on glass are attractive because they have the potential to merge the strengths of silicon wafer based PV technologies (efficiency, long term stability) with the cost advantages of thin-flim technologies (large area processing, monolithic construction), there-by lowering the cost of PV electricity. To improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of poly-Si we have developed and patented a novel thin-film solar cell technology (ALICE). We seek an interested partner to undertake collaborative research to develop this to the point of large scale industrial manufacturability.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

An opportunity exists for interested parties to invest in the development of new sub-surface drip irrigation technology.

This technology enables crop producers to use brackish (with a high salt content) water as a source of irrigation for high value crops, where other sources of water are unavailable.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

Solar cells need to be protected from the elements, but at the same time they have to work in the most effective manner possible to ensure nothing interferes with the light entering the solar cell. This new method for texturing glass sheets is called Aluminium-Induced Texture (AIT). NSi seeks partners who are interested in implementing this glass texturing method into their products.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

This new method of producing a seed layer of polycrystalline silicon, provides an increase in the uniformity and smoothness of the seed layer which will produce a higher quality end product, while reducing the costs and complexity of manufacturing. Continuous polycrystalline semiconductor thin films are anticipated to result in significant cost efficiencies leading to an increased uptake of photovoltaic energy by the world markets. The formation of polycrystalline semiconductor films at low temperature on low cost substrates (such as glass) is a simple and fast process, of interest for large area electronics and photovoltaics.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

Thin-film solar cells on glass have the potential to dramatically reduce the cost ($/Watt) of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules because they only require a fraction of the semiconductor material as compared to traditional, wafer-based solar cells. Thin-film solar cells, furthermore, have the advantage that it is possible to make them on large-area substrates (~1 m2), streamlining the production process and further reducing costs.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document

This invention provides a novel top surface design for screen-printed silicon solar cells that overcomes the dependence on uniformly heavily diffused emitters, thereby avoiding the corresponding poor performance to short wavelengths of light.

We are looking for a collaborative research partner to work with the UNSW to develop the new technology with the view to possible commercialisation through a licensing agreement or trade sale.

More Information and Contact Details: PDF version of Non-Confidential Disclosure Document