Hans Queisser
Encyclopedia
Hans-Joachim Queisser is a solid-state physicist
. He is best known for co-authoring the 1961 work on solar cell
s that detailed what is today known as the Shockley-Queisser limit
, which is now considered the key contribution in this field.
Queisser's father was a mechanical engineer for Siemens
. In 1928 he travelled to the United States
to work on power plants, and asked his fiancé to join him. She wanted to return to Germany, and Hans Joachim was born shortly after their return in 1931, in Berlin
. He was in Dresden during the air raid in 1945, and states he survived "barely". His father was sent to the Soviet Union
after the war, and Queisser wanted to enter the University of Berlin through an apprenticeship program and working as a technician at a research institute in Berlin. However, he instead applied for a scholarship in the United States
, and was accepted to the University of Kansas
for 1951 and 1952. He returned to Germany and obtained his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Göttingen in 1958.
After Goettingen he was accepted at Shockley Transistor Corporation
in Mountain View, California
where he worked on crystal growth, epitaxy, diffusion, lattice defects, junction properties and solar cells. It was during this time that he and Shockley calculated the maximum theoretical efficiency of silicon solar cells to be around 31%. He and his co-worker Richard Finch first identified oxygen-induced stacking faults and achieved the first transmission electron microscopy on semiconductors with J. Washburn and G. Thomas at UC Berkeley.
Queisser left Shockley for Bell Labs
in 1964, working on gallium arsenide for optical electronics. It was during this time that he invented a high-power luminescent diode, an infrared
light emitting diode (LED) that now forms the basis of almost every household remote control
device. Modifications of the basic design represent practically every LED in existence today.
In 1966 he left Bell to become a professor at the University of Frankfurt, and then went on to become a founding director of the Max-Planck-Institute at Stuttgart. He served in this role until his retirement in 1998.
Solid-state physics
Solid-state physics is the study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism, and metallurgy. It is the largest branch of condensed matter physics. Solid-state physics studies how the large-scale properties of solid materials result from...
. He is best known for co-authoring the 1961 work on solar cell
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
s that detailed what is today known as the Shockley-Queisser limit
Shockley-Queisser limit
In physics, the Shockley–Queisser limit or detailed balance limit refers to the maximum theoretical efficiency of a solar cell using a p-n junction to collect power from the cell. It was first calculated by William Shockley and Hans Queisser at Shockley Semiconductor in 1961...
, which is now considered the key contribution in this field.
Queisser's father was a mechanical engineer for Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
. In 1928 he travelled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to work on power plants, and asked his fiancé to join him. She wanted to return to Germany, and Hans Joachim was born shortly after their return in 1931, in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He was in Dresden during the air raid in 1945, and states he survived "barely". His father was sent to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
after the war, and Queisser wanted to enter the University of Berlin through an apprenticeship program and working as a technician at a research institute in Berlin. However, he instead applied for a scholarship in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and was accepted to the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
for 1951 and 1952. He returned to Germany and obtained his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Göttingen in 1958.
After Goettingen he was accepted at Shockley Transistor Corporation
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, the primary lab of the Shockley Transistor Company, was the first company to work on silicon semiconductor devices in what came to be known as Silicon Valley. It was purchased by Clevite in 1960, and officially closed shortly after being sold to ITT in 1968...
in Mountain View, California
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
where he worked on crystal growth, epitaxy, diffusion, lattice defects, junction properties and solar cells. It was during this time that he and Shockley calculated the maximum theoretical efficiency of silicon solar cells to be around 31%. He and his co-worker Richard Finch first identified oxygen-induced stacking faults and achieved the first transmission electron microscopy on semiconductors with J. Washburn and G. Thomas at UC Berkeley.
Queisser left Shockley for Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
in 1964, working on gallium arsenide for optical electronics. It was during this time that he invented a high-power luminescent diode, an infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
light emitting diode (LED) that now forms the basis of almost every household remote control
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
device. Modifications of the basic design represent practically every LED in existence today.
In 1966 he left Bell to become a professor at the University of Frankfurt, and then went on to become a founding director of the Max-Planck-Institute at Stuttgart. He served in this role until his retirement in 1998.
External links
- "The Conquest of the Microchip", Queisser's autobiographical work on the early history of Silicon ValleySilicon ValleySilicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
, ISBN 0674162978 - "Bringing Silicon to the Valley", presentation by Queisser on the history of Silicon Valley, with materials.