Measurement of minority-carrier diffusion lengths using wedge-shaped semiconductor photoelectrodes

Pala, Ragip A.; Leenheer, Andrew J.; Lichterman, Michael; Atwater, Harry A.; Lewis, Nathan S.

doi:10.1039/c4ee01580k

Title: Measurement of minority-carrier diffusion lengths using wedge-shaped semiconductor photoelectrodes

Journal Article · Tue Jul 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Energy & Environmental Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c4ee01580k· OSTI ID:1634226

Pala, Ragip A. ^[1]; Leenheer, Andrew J. ^[1]; Lichterman, Michael ^[1]; Atwater, Harry A. ^[1]; Lewis, Nathan S. ^[1]

California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

Measurement of the photocurrent as a function of the thickness of a light absorber has been shown herein both theoretically and experimentally to provide a method for determination of the minority-carrier diffusion length of a sample. To perform the measurement, an illuminated spot of photons with an energy well above the band gap of the material was scanned along the thickness gradient of a wedge-shaped, rear-illuminated semiconducting light absorber. Photogenerated majority carriers were collected through a back-side transparent ohmic contact, and a front-side liquid or Schottky junction collected the photogenerated minority carriers. Calculations showed that the diffusion length could be evaluated from the exponential variation in photocurrent as a function of the thickness of the sample. Good agreement was observed between experiment and theory for a solid-state silicon Schottky junction measured using this method. As an example for the application of the technique to semiconductor/liquid-junction photoelectrodes, the minority-carrier diffusion length was determined for graded thickness, sputtered tungsten trioxide and polished bismuth vanadate films under back-illumination in contact with an aqueous electrolyte. Furthermore, this wedge technique does not require knowledge of the spectral absorption coefficient, doping, or surface recombination velocity of the sample.

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Research Organization:: California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

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

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0004993

OSTI ID:: 1634226

Journal Information:: Energy & Environmental Science, Vol. 7, Issue 10; ISSN 1754-5692

Publisher:: Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 53 works

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