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Title: Impact of incorporating sodium into polycrystalline p-type Cu{sub 2}O for heterojunction solar cell applications

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4902879· OSTI ID:22392058
; ;  [1]
  1. Optoelectronic Device System R and D Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, 7-1 Ohgigaoka, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921-8501 (Japan)

The resistivity was controlled in the range of 10{sup 3} to 10{sup −2} Ω cm in polycrystalline p-type Cu{sub 2}O sheets (incorporating sodium (Na)), which are suitable for Cu{sub 2}O-based heterojunction solar cell applications. The Na-doped Cu{sub 2}O sheets exhibited a hole concentration that ranged from 10{sup 13} to 10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3}. In particular, a hole concentration of 10{sup 13}–10{sup 16 }cm{sup −3} was obtained while maintaining a high Hall mobility above 100 cm{sup 2}/V s, and, in addition, a degenerated semiconductor exhibiting metallic conduction was realized with a hole concentration above about 1 × 10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3}. The mechanism associated with the Na doping can be explained by a copper vacancy produced due to charge compensation effects that result when a Na atom is incorporated at an interstitial site in the Cu{sub 2}O lattice. For solar cell applications, the use of the Cu{sub 2}O:Na sheet in a heterojunction solar cell successfully improved the obtained efficiency over that found in heterojunction solar cells fabricated using an undoped Cu{sub 2}O sheet.

OSTI ID:
22392058
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 21; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English