Low-Cost High-Performance Concentrated PhotoVoltaic (CPV) Solar Cell Production and Optimization using III-V Quantum Dot Material Band-Gap Engineering

Quantum dot-sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) has an analogous structure and working principle to the dye sensitizer solar cell (DSSC). It has drawn great attention due to its unique features, like multiple exciton generation (MEG), simple fabrication and low cost. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of QDSSC is lower than that of DSSC. To increase the PCE of QDSSC, it is required to develop new types of working electrodes, sensitizers, counter electrodes and electrolytes. This review highlights recent developments in QDSSCs and their key components, including the photoanode, sensitizer, electrolyte and counter electrode.

Download Full-text

Investigation of Quantum Dot Solar Cell Device Performance

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2013.959 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 1551 ◽

pp. 137-142

Author(s):

Neil S. Beattie ◽

Guillaume Zoppi ◽

Ian Farrer ◽

Patrick See ◽

Robert W. Miles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quantum Dots ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Quantum Dot ◽

Band Gap ◽

Control Device ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Device Performance ◽

Intermediate Band ◽

Control Devices

ABSTRACTThe device performance of GaAs p-i-n solar cells containing stacked layers of self-assembled InAs quantum dots is investigated. The solar cells demonstrate enhanced external quantum efficiency below the GaAs band gap relative to a control device without quantum dots. This is attributed to the capture of sub-band gap photons by the quantum dots. Analysis of the current density versus voltage characteristic for the quantum dot solar cell reveals a decrease in the series resistance as the device area is reduce from 0.16 cm2 to 0.01 cm2. This is effect is not observed in control devices and is quantum dot related. Furthermore, low temperature measurements of the open circuit voltage for both quantum dot and control devices provide experimental verification of the conditions required to realise an intermediate band gap solar cell.

Download Full-text

New tailored organic semiconductors thin films for optoelectronic applications

The European Physical Journal Applied Physics ◽

10.1051/epjap/2021210090 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dinesh Pathak ◽

Sanjay Kumar ◽

Sonali Andotra ◽

Jibin Thomas ◽

Navneet Kaur ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Optical Absorption ◽

Band Gap ◽

Organic Semiconductors ◽

Low Cost ◽

Organic Thin Film ◽

Vis Spectroscopy ◽

Carbon Based

In this study, we have investigated new tailored organic semiconductors materials for the optoelectronic application, such as organic solar cells. The carbon-based organic semiconductor material has promising advantages in organic thin-film form. Moreover, due to its low cost, organic thin-films are suitable and cheaper than inorganic thin-film. The band gap of organic semiconductors materials can be tuned and mostly lies between 2.0eV to 4eV and the optical absorption edge of organic semiconductors typically lies in between 1.7eV to 3eV. They can be easily tailored by modifying the carbon chain and legends and looks promising for engineering the band gap to harness solar spectrum. In this work, with new tailored organic semiconductors the solution route is explored which is low cost processing method. (Anthracen-9-yl) methylene naphthalene-1-amine, 4-(anthracen-9-ylmethyleneamino)-1,5dimethyl-2-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-one and N-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl)-3,4-dimethoxyaniline thin-films are processed by spin coating method with changing concentration such as 0.05 wt% and 0.08 wt%. Thin films of Organic semiconductors were prepared on glass substrate and annealed at 55°C. The structural and optical behaviour of (Anthracen-9-yl) methylene naphthalene-1-amine, 4-(anthracen-9-ylmethyleneamino)-1,5dimethyl-2-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-one and N-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl)-3,4-dimethoxyaniline organic semiconductors thin films is studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-Visible Spectroscopy technique. The XRD data of synthesized sample suggests the Nano crystallinity of the Organic layers. The SEM micrographs shows the dense packing when we increase the wt% 0.05 to 0.08. Analysis of the optical absorption measurements found that the engineered band gap of synthesized thin films are 2.18eV, 2.35eV, 2.36eV, 2.52eV and 2.65eV which suggest suitability for applications of Optoelectronic devices such as solar cell. Such light weight, eco-friendly and disposable new carbon based materials seems to have potential to replace other traditional hazardous heavy materials for future eco-friendly flat fast electronics. Keywords: Thin-film, solar cell, tailored organic semiconductors, XRD, SEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy.

Download Full-text

Ultrasmooth Quantum Dot Micropatterns by a Facile Controllable Liquid-Transfer Approach: Low-Cost Fabrication of High-Performance QLED

Journal of the American Chemical Society ◽

10.1021/jacs.8b02948 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 140 (28) ◽

pp. 8690-8695 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Min Zhang ◽

Binbin Hu ◽

Lili Meng ◽

Ruixin Bian ◽

Siyuan Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quantum Dot ◽

High Performance ◽

Low Cost ◽

Liquid Transfer

Download Full-text

Low-cost porous Cu2ZnSnSe4 film remarkably superior to noble Pt as counter electrode in quantum dot-sensitized solar cell system

Journal of Power Sources ◽

10.1016/j.jpowsour.2012.11.023 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 226 ◽

pp. 359-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Xianwei Zeng ◽

Wenjun Zhang ◽

Yan Xie ◽

Dehua Xiong ◽

Wei Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cell ◽

Quantum Dot ◽

Counter Electrode ◽

Low Cost ◽

Cell System

Download Full-text

Review on the degradation and device physics of quantum dot solar cells

Modern Physics Letters B ◽

10.1142/s0217984915300082 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 1530008 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Elham N. Afshar ◽

Rasoul Rouhi ◽

Nima E. Gorji

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Quantum Dot ◽

Band Gap ◽

Conversion Efficiency ◽

High Performance ◽

Energy Conversion Efficiency ◽

New Materials ◽

Quantum Dot Solar Cells ◽

Photon Conversion ◽

The Stability

Briefly, we reviewed the latest progress in energy conversion efficiency and degradation rate of the quantum dot (QD) solar cells. QDs are zero dimension nanoparticles with tunable size and accordingly tunable band gap. The maximum performance of the most advanced QD solar cells was reported to be around 10%. Nevertheless, majority of research groups do not investigate the stability of such devices. QDs are cheaper replacements for silicon or other thin film materials with a great potential to significantly increase the photon conversion efficiency via two ways: (i) creating multiple excitons by absorbing a single hot photon, and (ii) formation of intermediate bands (IBs) in the band gap of the background semiconductor that enables the absorption of low energy photons (two-step absorption of sub-band gap photons). Apart from low conversion efficiency, QD solar cells also suffer from instability under real operation and stress conditions. Strain, dislocations and variation in size of the dots (under pressure of the other layers) are the main degradation resources. While some new materials (i.e. perovskites) showed an acceptable high performance, the QD devices are still inefficient with an almost medium rate of 4% (2010) to 10% (2015).

Download Full-text