Investigation of Quantum Dot Solar Cell Device Performance

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.

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An inverted ZnO/P3HT:PbS bulk-heterojunction hybrid solar cell with a CdSe quantum dot interface buffer layer

RSC Advances ◽

10.1039/d0ra02740e ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (28) ◽

pp. 16693-16699 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ajith Thomas ◽

R. Vinayakan ◽

V. V. Ison

Keyword(s):

Quantum Dots ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Quantum Dot ◽

Buffer Layer ◽

Active Layer ◽

Bulk Heterojunction ◽

Hybrid Solar Cell ◽

Device Performance ◽

Cdse Quantum Dots ◽

Cdse Quantum Dot

An inverted bulk-heterojunction hybrid solar cell with the structure ITO/ZnO/P3HT:PbS/Au was prepared. The device performance was enhanced by inserting an interface buffer layer of CdSe quantum dots between the ZnO and the P3HT:PbS BHJ active layer.

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Theoretical Investigations of Polymer Based Solar Cells

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-822-s7.7 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 822 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Robert S. Echols ◽

Chris E. France

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Band Gap ◽

Polymer Blend ◽

Bulk Heterojunction ◽

Power Conversion ◽

Normal Incidence ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Action Spectra ◽

Conversion Efficiencies

AbstractWe investigate the behavior of a polymer blend (M3EH-PPV:CN-ether-PPV) bulk heterojunction solar cell using a numeric model that self-consistently solves Poisson's equation and the charge continuity equation while incorporating electric field dependent mobilities. We obtain good quantitative agreement with present experimental data for J-V curves and photocurrent action spectra. To reproduce experimental photocurrent action spectra, our model predicts 36% exciton dissociation efficiencies in the bulk of the polymer. We also study the limiting conditions of polymer solar cell development by simulating an ideal solar cell using an AM1.5 global spectrum and assuming all absorbed photons hitting a M3EH-PPV:CN-ether-PPV polymer blend (band gap ∼2.0 eV) based solar cell at normal incidence contribute to current. If such a solar cell has 100 nm length, open circuit voltage=0.6 V and 50% fill factor, then the maximum theoretical power conversion efficiency is ηp=5.6%. A similar analysis for a M3EH-PPV:PCBM bulk heterojunction cell yields, ηp=3.5%. These results further highlight the need to develop smaller band gap materials and help explain why the best polymer based solar cells have power conversion efficiencies that remain stuck at about 3%. Our model is used to investigate the important increase in power conversion efficiencies we can expect as lower band gap polymers become available.

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Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells via Integrated Experimental and Modeling Study

Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience ◽

10.1166/jctn.2019.7746 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 436-440

Author(s):

Lekshmi Gangadhar ◽

Anusha Kannan ◽

P. K. Praseetha

Keyword(s):

Quantum Dots ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Quantum Dot ◽

Low Cost ◽

Semiconductor Nanocrystals ◽

Green Energy ◽

Research Areas ◽

Sensitized Solar Cells ◽

Modeling Study

The solar energy is one of the potential renewable green energy source considering the availability of sunlight in abundance and the need for clean and renewable source of energy. Quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals having considerable interest in photovoltaic research areas. Cadmium sulfide-sensitized solar cells are synthesized by Chemical bath deposition and titanium nanowires were fabricated by hydrothermal method. The synthesized CdS quantum dots are sensitized to nanoporous TiO2 films to form quantum dots-sensitized solar cell applications. The introduction of TNWs enables the electrolyte to penetrate easily inside the film which increases the interfacial contact between the nanowires, the quantum dots and the electrolyte results in improvement in efficiency of solar cell. The goal of our research is to understand the fundamental physics and performance of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells with improved photoconversion efficiency at the low cost based on selection of TiO2 nanostructures, sensitizers and electrodes through an integrated experimental and modeling study.

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Can Impurities be Beneficial to Photovoltaics?

Solid State Phenomena ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/ssp.156-158.107 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 156-158 ◽

pp. 107-114

Author(s):

Antonio Luque ◽

Antonio Martí

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Quantum Dot ◽

State Of The Art ◽

The State ◽

Bulk Materials ◽

Intermediate Band ◽

Intermediate Band Solar Cells

The state of the art of the intermediate band solar cells is presented with emphasis on the use of impurities or alloys to form bulk intermediate band materials. Quantum dot intermediate band solar cells start to present already attractive efficiencies but many difficulties jeopardize the immediate achievement of record efficiency cells. To complement this research it is worthwhile examining bulk materials presenting an IB. Four or perhaps more materials have already proven to have it and several paths for the research of more are today open but no solar cell has yet been published based on them. This topic has already attracted many researches and abundant funds for their development worldwide.

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Advances in the Research of the Intermediate Band (IB) Solar Cell

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-1031-h01-01 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 1031 ◽

Author(s):

Antonio Luque ◽

Antonio Martí

Keyword(s):

Quantum Dots ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Nanostructured Materials ◽

Present State ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Intermediate Band ◽

The Real ◽

A Cell ◽

Very High

AbstractWe describe the present state of the intermediate band (IB) solar cell research, a cell concept with very high efficiency potential. A comprehensive presentation of the theory is included followed of a description of its implementation using quantum dots and of the experiments performed to prove their principles. Present solar cells do not give today very high efficiencies; the steps to be given towards the real achievement of higher efficiencies is described and the use of alloys, instead of nanostructured materials, to fabricate IB cells is also discussed.

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Interface Investigation of ZnO/CdS/CuIn1−xGaxSe2/Mo Solar Cells

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-668-h6.8 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 668 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

F.S. Hasoon ◽

H.A. Al-Thani ◽

K.M. Jones ◽

Y. Yan ◽

H. R. Moutinho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Band Gap ◽

Current Density ◽

Open Circuit Voltage ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Surface Microstructure ◽

Device Performance ◽

Microstructural Properties ◽

Cigs Solar Cells ◽

Graded Band Gap

ABSTRACTGraded-band-gap CuIn1−xGaxSe2 (CIGS) absorbers with Ga/Ga+In value in the 20%-30% range have a demonstrated efficiency of 18.8%. For CdS-containing devices, the shortcircuit current density (Jsc) has almost reached its expected maximum. However, the open-circuit voltage of CIGS solar cells is limited by the surface microstructure and chemistry. In this work, we examine the microstructural properties and chemistry of CIGS. We also attempted to correlate the above observations and device performance.

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Investigation of the open-circuit voltage in wide-bandgap InGaP-host InP quantum dot intermediate-band solar cells

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics ◽

10.7567/jjap.57.04fs04 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 57 (4S) ◽

pp. 04FS04 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Taketo Aihara ◽

Takeshi Tayagaki ◽

Yuki Nagato ◽

Yoshinobu Okano ◽

Takeyoshi Sugaya

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Quantum Dot ◽

Open Circuit Voltage ◽

Wide Bandgap ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Intermediate Band ◽

Intermediate Band Solar Cells

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Effects of Temperature on I-V Characteristics of InAs/GaAs Quantum-Dot Solar Cells

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.1103.129 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1103 ◽

pp. 129-135 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Saichon Sriphan ◽

Suwit Kiravittaya ◽

Supachok Thainoi ◽

Somsak Panyakaew

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Quantum Dot ◽

Series Resistance ◽

Cell Structure ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Substantial Improvement ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Gaas Quantum Dot

The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of quantum-dot (QD) solar cells under illumination at various temperatures are presented. Stacked of high-density self-assembled InAs/GaAs QDs were incorporated into the Schottky-barrier-type solar cell structure. The I-V characteristics reveal that both short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage of the QD solar cell reduce when the measurement temperature increases. This result is unexpected and inconsistent with a basic solar cell theory where the temperature is believed to cause the enhancement of the short-circuit current. By considering the solar-cell circuit model, we can explain the obtained I-V curves by a high series resistance of the cell structure. Theoretical exclusion of the series resistance shows a substantial improvement of solar cell fill factor and efficiency. This work therefore suggests that reduction of series resistance by properly doping of the epitaxial layers can improve these devices.

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