Solar cell scientist Thorsten Trupke has won the 2010 UNSW Inventor of the Year Award for a world first technology that is improving the competitiveness of the solar industry. He is the co-inventor of solar cell and wafer inspection systems that measure the quality of silicon bricks, wafers, and solar cells in less than a second.

 

Solar cell inspection tools - known as photoluminescence (PL) imaging - can be compared to an X-ray machine for the solar industry - providing high-resolution images that can spot hidden faults and defects affecting the performance of solar cells and silicon wafers.

 

Three years ago Thorsten and his UNSW colleague, Robert Bardos, established BT Imaging (BTI) as a UNSW spin-off to commercialise PL imaging technologies with applications across the PV manufacturing supply chain. Today the patented technology has triggered sales to leading cell and wafer manufacturers around the world.

 

Associate Professor Trupke is Deputy Director of the ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence. He holds several patents and multi-million dollar research grants, and was the co-recipient most recently of the 2010 Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis for outstanding advancements in the field of laser technology. BTI is a UNSW spinoff company commercialised by NewSouth Innovations with supporting investment capital from Allen Buckeridge, Uniseed and Applied Ventures.

 

Winners in the other IOY-10 prize categories this year were Obada Kayali (Environment), Levon Khachigian (Medicine), Christoph Arns (ICT), Thorsten Trupke (Science and Engineering) and Henner Kampwerth (Student Inventor of the Year). This years awards introduced a new award recognising best new inventions by UNSW staff and students in the financial year to June 30. The Best New Invention Award showcases Intellectual Property Notifications, which are the starting point for commercialising research.

 

Sheau-Fang Ng and her team won best new student invention for identifying a set of novel biomarkers that could prevent the intergenerational transfer of metabolic conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Chee Kwok and his team won best new invention by a UNSW staff member for a new device that could accelerate broadband communication and high-speed computer processors by creating light-based communication on computer circuit boards.

 

 

One hundred and forty leaders from business, media and research organisations celebrated the September 2 awards evening held at UNSWs John Niland Scientia Building. UNSW Vice-Chancellor Professor Fred Hilmer and NSW Chief Scientist and Chief Engineer Professor Mary OKane spoke at the gala event, which was emceed by Robyn Williams, host of ABC Radio Nationals The Science Show.

 

View 15 videos of the finalists and winners here.

 

Dan Gaffney, NewSouth Innovations

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