Dye-sensitized Schottky barrier solar cells
Abstract
A low-cost dye-sensitized Schottky barrier solar cell comprised of a substrate of semiconductor with an ohmic contact on one face, a sensitizing dye adsorbed onto the opposite face of the semiconductor, a transparent thin-film layer of a reducing agent over the dye, and a thin-film layer of metal over the reducing agent. The ohmic contact and metal layer constitute electrodes for connection to an external circuit and one or the other or both are made transparent to permit light to penetrate to the dye and be absorbed therein for generating electric current. The semiconductor material chosen to be the substrate is one having a wide bandgap and which therefore is transparent; the dye selected is one having a ground state within the bandgap of the semiconductor to generate carriers in the semiconductor, and a first excited state above the conduction band edge of the semiconductor to readily conduct electrons from the dye to the semiconductor; the reducing agent selected is one having a ground state above the ground state of the sensitizer to provide a plentiful source of electrons to the dye during current generation and thereby enhance the generation; and the metal for the thin-film layer of metal ismore »
- Inventors:
-
- Berkeley, CA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 863150
- Patent Number(s):
- 4105470
- Assignee:
- United States Government as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- dye-sensitized; schottky; barrier; solar; cells; low-cost; cell; comprised; substrate; semiconductor; ohmic; contact; sensitizing; dye; adsorbed; opposite; transparent; thin-film; layer; reducing; agent; metal; constitute; electrodes; connection; external; circuit; permit; light; penetrate; absorbed; therein; generating; electric; current; material; chosen; wide; bandgap; selected; ground; generate; carriers; excited; conduction; band; edge; readily; conduct; electrons; sensitizer; provide; plentiful; source; generation; enhance; fermi; level; vicinity; amply; supply; thin-film layer; wide band; generating electric; barrier solar; conduction band; external circuit; wide bandgap; schottky barrier; electric current; metal layer; solar cell; semiconductor material; solar cells; reducing agent; ohmic contact; film layer; agent selected; absorbed therein; band edge; cell comprised; sensitizing dye; fermi level; material chosen; dye selected; dye-sensitized schottky; transparent thin-film; low-cost dye-sensitized; dye adsorbed; /136/257/
Citation Formats
Skotheim, Terje A. Dye-sensitized Schottky barrier solar cells. United States: N. p., 1978.
Web.
Skotheim, Terje A. Dye-sensitized Schottky barrier solar cells. United States.
Skotheim, Terje A. Sun .
"Dye-sensitized Schottky barrier solar cells". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/863150.
@article{osti_863150,
title = {Dye-sensitized Schottky barrier solar cells},
author = {Skotheim, Terje A},
abstractNote = {A low-cost dye-sensitized Schottky barrier solar cell comprised of a substrate of semiconductor with an ohmic contact on one face, a sensitizing dye adsorbed onto the opposite face of the semiconductor, a transparent thin-film layer of a reducing agent over the dye, and a thin-film layer of metal over the reducing agent. The ohmic contact and metal layer constitute electrodes for connection to an external circuit and one or the other or both are made transparent to permit light to penetrate to the dye and be absorbed therein for generating electric current. The semiconductor material chosen to be the substrate is one having a wide bandgap and which therefore is transparent; the dye selected is one having a ground state within the bandgap of the semiconductor to generate carriers in the semiconductor, and a first excited state above the conduction band edge of the semiconductor to readily conduct electrons from the dye to the semiconductor; the reducing agent selected is one having a ground state above the ground state of the sensitizer to provide a plentiful source of electrons to the dye during current generation and thereby enhance the generation; and the metal for the thin-film layer of metal is selected to have a Fermi level in the vicinity of or above the ground state of the reducing agent to thereby amply supply electrons to the reducing agent.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978}
}