Enhancement of photovoltaic effects and photoconductivity observed in Co-doped amorphous carbon/silicon heterostructures

Journal Article · Mon Aug 22 04:00:00 EDT 2016 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4961673· OSTI ID:22590475

Jiang, Y. C.

Co-doped amorphous carbon (Co-C)/silicon heterostructures were fabricated by growing Co-C films on n-type Si substrates using pulsed laser deposition. A photovoltaic effect (PVE) has been observed at room temperature. Open-circuit voltage V{sub oc} = 320 mV and short-circuit current density J{sub sc }= 5.62 mA/cm{sup 2} were measured under illumination of 532-nm light with the power of 100 mW/cm{sup 2}. In contrast, undoped amorphous carbon/Si heterostructures revealed no significant PVE. Based on the PVE and photoconductivity (PC) investigated at different temperatures, it was found that the energy conversion efficiency increased with increasing the temperature and reached the maximum at room temperature, while the photoconductivity showed a reverse temperature dependence. The observed competition between PVE and PC was correlated with the way to distribute absorbed photons. The possible mechanism, explaining the enhanced PVE and PC in the Co-C/Si heterostructures, might be attributed to light absorption enhanced by localized surface plasmons in Co nanoparticles embedded in the carbon matrix.

• OSTI ID: 22590475
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 109; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
CARBON
CURRENT DENSITY
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION
ENERGY CONVERSION
LASER RADIATION
NANOPARTICLES
PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY
PHOTONS
PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECT
PLASMONS
PULSED IRRADIATION
SILICON
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K