Modeling photovoltaic performance in periodic patterned colloidal quantum dot solar cells

Fu, Yulan; Dinku, Abay G.; Hara, Yukihiro; Miller, Christopher W.; Vrouwenvelder, Kristina T.; Lopez, Rene

doi:10.1364/OE.23.00A779

Title: Modeling photovoltaic performance in periodic patterned colloidal quantum dot solar cells

Full Record
Other Related Research

Abstract

Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells have attracted tremendous attention mostly due to their wide absorption spectrum window and potentially low processability cost. The ultimate efficiency of CQD solar cells is highly limited by their high trap state density. Here in this paper we show that the overall device power conversion efficiency could be improved by employing photonic structures that enhance both charge generation and collection efficiencies. By employing a two-dimensional numerical model, we have calculated the characteristics of patterned CQD solar cells based of a simple grating structure. Our calculation predicts a power conversion efficiency as high as 11.2%, with a short circuit current density of 35.2 mA/cm², a value nearly 1.5 times larger than the conventional flat design, showing the great potential value of patterned quantum dot solar cells.

Authors:

Fu, Yulan ^[1]; Dinku, Abay G. ^[1]; Hara, Yukihiro ^[1]; Miller, Christopher W. ^[1]; Vrouwenvelder, Kristina T. ^[1]; Lopez, Rene ^[1]

Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

Publication Date:: Tue Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:: Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:: 1457340

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0006416

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Optics Express

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 23; Journal Issue: 15; Journal ID: ISSN 1094-4087

Publisher:: Optical Society of America (OSA)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Citation Formats


                    Fu, Yulan, Dinku, Abay G., Hara, Yukihiro, Miller, Christopher W., Vrouwenvelder, Kristina T., and Lopez, Rene. Modeling photovoltaic performance in periodic patterned colloidal quantum dot solar cells.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
Web.  doi:10.1364/OE.23.00A779.

Copy to clipboard


                    Fu, Yulan, Dinku, Abay G., Hara, Yukihiro, Miller, Christopher W., Vrouwenvelder, Kristina T., & Lopez, Rene. Modeling photovoltaic performance in periodic patterned colloidal quantum dot solar cells.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.23.00A779

Copy to clipboard


                    Fu, Yulan, Dinku, Abay G., Hara, Yukihiro, Miller, Christopher W., Vrouwenvelder, Kristina T., and Lopez, Rene. Tue .  
"Modeling photovoltaic performance in periodic patterned colloidal quantum dot solar cells".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.23.00A779.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1457340.

Copy to clipboard


                    
@article{osti_1457340,

  title        = {Modeling photovoltaic performance in periodic patterned colloidal quantum dot solar cells},

  author       = {Fu, Yulan and Dinku, Abay G. and Hara, Yukihiro and Miller, Christopher W. and Vrouwenvelder, Kristina T. and Lopez, Rene},

  abstractNote = {Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells have attracted tremendous attention mostly due to their wide absorption spectrum window and potentially low processability cost. The ultimate efficiency of CQD solar cells is highly limited by their high trap state density. Here in this paper we show that the overall device power conversion efficiency could be improved by employing photonic structures that enhance both charge generation and collection efficiencies. By employing a two-dimensional numerical model, we have calculated the characteristics of patterned CQD solar cells based of a simple grating structure. Our calculation predicts a power conversion efficiency as high as 11.2%, with a short circuit current density of 35.2 mA/cm2, a value nearly 1.5 times larger than the conventional flat design, showing the great potential value of patterned quantum dot solar cells.},

  doi          = {10.1364/OE.23.00A779},

  journal      = {Optics Express},

  number       = 15,

  volume       = 23,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Tue Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

Copy to clipboard

Journal Article:

Free Publicly Available Full Text

Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Publisher's Version of Record

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.23.00A779

Other availability

Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 9 works

Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Export Metadata

Save to My Library

Similar Records in DOE PAGES and OSTI.GOV collections:

Colloidal quantum dot solar cells on curved and flexible substrates

Journal Article Kramer, Illan J. ; IBM Canada Research and Development Centre, 120 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 1B7 ; Moreno-Bautista, Gabriel ; ... - Applied Physics Letters

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals synthesized with, processed in, and deposited from the solution phase, potentially enabling low-cost, facile manufacture of solar cells. Unfortunately, CQD solar cell reports, until now, have only explored batch-processing methods—such as spin-coating—that offer limited capacity for scaling. Spray-coating could offer a means of producing uniform colloidal quantum dot films that yield high-quality devices. Here, we explore the versatility of the spray-coating method by producing CQD solar cells in a variety of previously unexplored substrate arrangements. The potential transferability of the spray-coating method to a roll-to-roll manufacturing process was tested by spray-coating the CQDmore »« less
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4898635
A Chemically Orthogonal Hole Transport Layer for Efficient Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Journal Article Biondi, Margherita ; Choi, Min‐Jae ; Ouellette, Olivier ; ... - Advanced Materials

Abstract Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are of interest in light of their solution‐processing and bandgap tuning. Advances in the performance of CQD optoelectronic devices require fine control over the properties of each layer in the device materials stack. This is particularly challenging in the present best CQD solar cells, since these employ a p‐type hole‐transport layer (HTL) implemented using 1,2‐ethanedithiol (EDT) ligand exchange on top of the CQD active layer. It is established that the high reactivity of EDT causes a severe chemical modification to the active layer that deteriorates charge extraction. By combining elemental mapping with the spatial chargemore »« less
Cited by 49
https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201906199
Carbon Nanotubes for Quantum Dot Photovoltaics with Enhanced Light Management and Charge Transport

Journal Article Tazawa, Yujiro ; Habisreutinger, Severin N. ; Zhang, Nanlin ; ... - ACS Photonics

Colloidal quantum dot (CQD)-based photovoltaics are an emerging low-cost solar cell technology with power conversion efficiencies exceeding 10%, i.e., high enough to be interesting for commercialization. Well-controlled and understood charge carrier transport through the device stack is required to make the next step in efficiency improvements. In this work, polymer-wrapped single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) films embedded in an insulating poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix and capped by a thermally evaporated Au electrode are investigated as a composite hole transport layer and optical spacer. Employing transient absorption spectroscopy we show that the SWNTs enhance the charge transfer rate from CQD to CQD,more »« less
Cited by 4
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.8b00982

Full Text Available
Photocurrent extraction efficiency in colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics

Journal Article Kemp, K. W. ; Wong, C. T. O. ; Hoogland, S. H. ; ... - Applied Physics Letters

The efficiency of photocurrent extraction was studied directly inside operating Colloidal Quantum Dot (CQD) photovoltaic devices. A model was derived from first principles for a thin film p-n junction with a linearly spatially dependent electric field. Using this model, we were able to clarify the origins of recent improvement in CQD solar cell performance. From current-voltage diode characteristics under 1 sun conditions, we extracted transport lengths ranging from 39 nm to 86 nm for these materials. Characterization of the intensity dependence of photocurrent extraction revealed that the dominant loss mechanism limiting the transport length is trap-mediated recombination.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4831982
Reducing charge trapping in PbS colloidal quantum dot solids

Journal Article Balazs, D. M. ; Nugraha, M. I. ; Bisri, S. Z. ; ... - Applied Physics Letters

Understanding and improving charge transport in colloidal quantum dot solids is crucial for the development of efficient solar cells based on these materials. In this paper, we report high performance field-effect transistors based on lead-sulfide colloidal quantum dots (PbS CQDs) crosslinked with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). Electron mobility up to 0.03 cm{sup 2}/Vs and on/off ratio above 10{sup 5} was measured; the later value is the highest in the literature for CQD Field effect transistors with silicon-oxide gating. This was achieved by using high quality material and preventing trap generation during fabrication and measurement. We show that air exposure has amore »« less
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4869216

Similar Records