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Photovoltaic devices based on high density boron-doped single-walled carbon nanotube/n-Si heterojunctions

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3531112· OSTI ID:1076479
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [4];  [1];  [1];  [5];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR (United States)
  2. Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR (United States)
  3. ASRC Aerospace Corp., NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL (United States)
  4. Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR (United States); Ecole d'Ingenieurs du CESI-EIA, La Couronne (France)
  5. National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, Napoca (Romania)
A simple and easily processible photovoltaic device has been developed based on borondoped single-walled carbon nanotubes (B-SWNTs) and n-type silicon (n-Si) heterojunctions. The single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were substitutionally doped with boron atoms by thermal annealing, in the presence of B2O3. The samples used for these studies were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The fully functional solar cell devices were fabricated by airbrush deposition that generated uniform B-SWNT films on top of the n-Si substrates. The carbon nanotube films acted as exciton-generation sites, charge collection and transportation, while the heterojunctions formed between B-SWNTs and n-Si acted as charge dissociation centers. The current-voltage characteristics in the absence of light and under illumination, as well as optical transmittance spectrum are reported here. It should be noted that the device fabrication process can be made amenable to scalability by depositing direct and uniform films using airbrushing, inkjet printing, or spin-coating techniques.
Research Organization:
University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG36-06GO86072
OSTI ID:
1076479
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 109; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (4)

Carbon/Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells: State of the Art and Prospects journal September 2015
Advances in Carbon Nanotube-Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells journal February 2018
Photovoltaic properties of the p-CuO/n-Si heterojunction prepared through reactive magnetron sputtering journal April 2012
Organic Solar Cells: A Review of Materials, Limitations, and Possibilities for Improvement journal September 2013

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