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Title: Au-Cu{sub 2}O core-shell nanowire photovoltaics

Abstract

Semiconductor nanowires are among the most promising candidates for next generation photovoltaics. This is due to their outstanding optical and electrical properties which provide large optical cross sections while simultaneously decoupling the photon absorption and charge carrier extraction length scales. These effects relax the requirements for both the minority carrier diffusion length and the amount of semiconductor needed. Metal-semiconductor core-shell nanowires have previously been predicted to show even better optical absorption than solid semiconductor nanowires and offer the additional advantage of a local metal core contact. Here, we fabricate and analyze such a geometry using a single Au-Cu{sub 2}O core-shell nanowire photovoltaic cell as a model system. Spatially resolved photocurrent maps reveal that although the minority carrier diffusion length in the Cu{sub 2}O shell is less than 1 μm, the radial contact geometry with the incorporated metal electrode still allows for photogenerated carrier collection along an entire nanowire. Current-voltage measurements yield an open-circuit voltage of 600 mV under laser illumination and a dark diode turn-on voltage of 1 V. This study suggests the metal-semiconductor core-shell nanowire concept could be extended to low-cost, large-scale photovoltaic devices, utilizing for example, metal nanowire electrode grids coated with epitaxially grown semiconductor shells.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22399136
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 106; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: (c) 2015 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; CHARGE CARRIERS; COPPER OXIDES; DECOUPLING; DIFFUSION LENGTH; ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY; EPITAXY; EXTRACTION; GOLD; ILLUMINANCE; LASER RADIATION; NANOWIRES; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; PHOTOCURRENTS; PHOTONS; PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS; PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECT; SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS; SOLIDS

Citation Formats

Oener, S. Z., Mann, S. A., Sciacca, B., Sfiligoj, C., Hoang, J., and Garnett, E. C., E-mail: garnett@amolf.nl. Au-Cu{sub 2}O core-shell nanowire photovoltaics. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4905652.
Oener, S. Z., Mann, S. A., Sciacca, B., Sfiligoj, C., Hoang, J., & Garnett, E. C., E-mail: garnett@amolf.nl. Au-Cu{sub 2}O core-shell nanowire photovoltaics. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4905652
Oener, S. Z., Mann, S. A., Sciacca, B., Sfiligoj, C., Hoang, J., and Garnett, E. C., E-mail: garnett@amolf.nl. 2015. "Au-Cu{sub 2}O core-shell nanowire photovoltaics". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4905652.
@article{osti_22399136,
title = {Au-Cu{sub 2}O core-shell nanowire photovoltaics},
author = {Oener, S. Z. and Mann, S. A. and Sciacca, B. and Sfiligoj, C. and Hoang, J. and Garnett, E. C., E-mail: garnett@amolf.nl},
abstractNote = {Semiconductor nanowires are among the most promising candidates for next generation photovoltaics. This is due to their outstanding optical and electrical properties which provide large optical cross sections while simultaneously decoupling the photon absorption and charge carrier extraction length scales. These effects relax the requirements for both the minority carrier diffusion length and the amount of semiconductor needed. Metal-semiconductor core-shell nanowires have previously been predicted to show even better optical absorption than solid semiconductor nanowires and offer the additional advantage of a local metal core contact. Here, we fabricate and analyze such a geometry using a single Au-Cu{sub 2}O core-shell nanowire photovoltaic cell as a model system. Spatially resolved photocurrent maps reveal that although the minority carrier diffusion length in the Cu{sub 2}O shell is less than 1 μm, the radial contact geometry with the incorporated metal electrode still allows for photogenerated carrier collection along an entire nanowire. Current-voltage measurements yield an open-circuit voltage of 600 mV under laser illumination and a dark diode turn-on voltage of 1 V. This study suggests the metal-semiconductor core-shell nanowire concept could be extended to low-cost, large-scale photovoltaic devices, utilizing for example, metal nanowire electrode grids coated with epitaxially grown semiconductor shells.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4905652},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22399136}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
issn = {0003-6951},
number = 2,
volume = 106,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Mon Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}