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

Abstract

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.

Authors:
 [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)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1076479
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG36-06GO86072
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 109; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; carbon nanotubes doping; solar cells; boron; boron nanotubes; organic-inorganic; p-type single wall carbon nanotubes; n-type silicon

Citation Formats

Saini, Viney, Li, Zhongrui, Bourdo, Shawn, Kunets, Vasyl P., Trigwell, Steven, Couraud, Arthur, Rioux, Julien, Boyer, Cyril, Nteziyaremye, Valens, Dervishi, Enkeleda, Biris, Alexandru R., Salamo, Gregory J., Viswanathan, Tito, and Biris, Alexandru S. Photovoltaic devices based on high density boron-doped single-walled carbon nanotube/n-Si heterojunctions. United States: N. p., 2011. Web. doi:10.1063/1.3531112.
Saini, Viney, Li, Zhongrui, Bourdo, Shawn, Kunets, Vasyl P., Trigwell, Steven, Couraud, Arthur, Rioux, Julien, Boyer, Cyril, Nteziyaremye, Valens, Dervishi, Enkeleda, Biris, Alexandru R., Salamo, Gregory J., Viswanathan, Tito, & Biris, Alexandru S. Photovoltaic devices based on high density boron-doped single-walled carbon nanotube/n-Si heterojunctions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3531112
Saini, Viney, Li, Zhongrui, Bourdo, Shawn, Kunets, Vasyl P., Trigwell, Steven, Couraud, Arthur, Rioux, Julien, Boyer, Cyril, Nteziyaremye, Valens, Dervishi, Enkeleda, Biris, Alexandru R., Salamo, Gregory J., Viswanathan, Tito, and Biris, Alexandru S. 2011. "Photovoltaic devices based on high density boron-doped single-walled carbon nanotube/n-Si heterojunctions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3531112. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1076479.
@article{osti_1076479,
title = {Photovoltaic devices based on high density boron-doped single-walled carbon nanotube/n-Si heterojunctions},
author = {Saini, Viney and Li, Zhongrui and Bourdo, Shawn and Kunets, Vasyl P. and Trigwell, Steven and Couraud, Arthur and Rioux, Julien and Boyer, Cyril and Nteziyaremye, Valens and Dervishi, Enkeleda and Biris, Alexandru R. and Salamo, Gregory J. and Viswanathan, Tito and Biris, Alexandru S.},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1063/1.3531112},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1076479}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
issn = {0021-8979},
number = 1,
volume = 109,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 13 00:00:00 EST 2011},
month = {Thu Jan 13 00:00:00 EST 2011}
}

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Cited by: 16 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

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