Solar Photovoltaics and Energy Systems EY-1.

Nanocrystal Solar Cells

Laurent Balet 04-nov-2005

 Outline

• What are Nanocrystal Quantum Dots

• What are they useful for in Solar Cell technology

• The Hybrid Nanocrystal Polymer Solar Cells

• Air-stable all-inorganic Nanocrystal Solar Cells

• Discussion
 What are Nanocrystals?
Me2Cd+Me2Se
In TOP
CdSe-TOPO/TOP

TOPO

320~360ºC TOP(O): trioctyl phosphine (oxide)

Me2Cd: dimethylcadmium 1P(e)
Murray et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 15, 8706 (1993) 2 ~ 10 nm
1P(e) 10 ~ 50 atoms
1S(e)
Valence Band 1S(e)
Eg Eg(8nm) Eg(2nm)
Conduction Band

Bulk semiconductor 8 nm Hole states 2 nm

(quasicontinuum)
 What are Nanocrystals?

1P(e)
1S(e)
Eg
 Why use Nanocrystals?
Tunable bandgap

CdSe - 500nm

CdSe - 600nm

CdSe - 700nm

PbSe - 900nm

PbSe - 1100nm
 Why use Nanocrystals?
Use of hot photogenerated carriers: higher voltage or higher current?

R. D. Schaller, V. I. Klimov, PRL 92, 186601

 How to use those Nanocrystals?
QD used as sensitizer
QD-array as
i-region of a
p-i-n cell

QD dispersed in a
blend of electron/hole
conducting polymer
A. J. Nozik, Physica E 14 (2002) 115
Hybrid Nanorod-Polyemer Solar Cells
W. U. Huynh, J. J. Dittmer, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 295, 2425 (2002)

90% by weight
Hybrid Nanorod-Polyemer Solar Cells
W. U. Huynh, J. J. Dittmer, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 295, 2425 (2002)

7x60 nm 7x60 nm

3x60 nm 7x30 nm

7 nm

Polymer absorbs --> 650 nm

Other characteristic similar
Charge transport through the length
Hybrid Nanorod-Polyemer Solar Cells
W. U. Huynh, J. J. Dittmer, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 295, 2425 (2002)
 Air-stable all-inorganic Solar Cell
I. Gur, N. A. Fromer, M. L. Geier, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 310, 463 (2005)

CdSe CdTe

40 nm 40 nm 1 m

Type II heterojunction (similar

to organic D-A model) serves
to dissociate the strongly
bound excitons.
 Air-stable all-inorganic Solar Cell
I. Gur, N. A. Fromer, M. L. Geier, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 310, 463 (2005)

AM1.5G

CdSe
CdTe
Dark

Ag Isc = 0.58 mA/cm2

CdSe 100 nm
Voc = 0.41 V
CdTe 100 nm
FF = {I·V}max/(Isc·Voc)
ITO = 0.40
 Air-stable all-inorganic Solar Cell
I. Gur, N. A. Fromer, M. L. Geier, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 310, 463 (2005)

No free carriers in dark in CdSe arrays AM1.5G

 electrically insulating in dark

CdSe (CdTe) films: >500G/cm2 dark

- 1 order of magnitude under AM1.5G

Device: - 3 orders of magnitude Dark

~~>limited number of untrapped carriers
~~> best described by rigid band
~~> carrier extraction by diffusion (typeII)
Ag
CdSe 100 nm

CdTe 100 nm

ITO
Air-stable all-inorganic Solar Cell
I. Gur, N. A. Fromer, M. L. Geier, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 310, 463 (2005)

•Role of charge transfer

~5·10 mW/cm
-2 2
bilayer
•Separation of h+ and e- at
interface increase efficiency
blend
•Blend efficiency indicates no p-n
type junction but D-A behavior
CdTe

CdSe

200nm thick layers,

Similar OD across spectrum
Low intensity illumination
Air-stable all-inorganic Solar Cell
I. Gur, N. A. Fromer, M. L. Geier, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 310, 463 (2005)

CdTe
AM1.5G
Bilayer shows rectification
Single material device not

Diode-like behavior doesn’t

bilayer come from Schottky contacts
or p-n but rather from the
intendend heterojunction
CdSe blend (similar to organic D-A)
 Air-stable all-inorganic Solar Cell
I. Gur, N. A. Fromer, M. L. Geier, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 310, 463 (2005)

Sintering (saturated CdCl2 in MeOH) & annealing 15 min at 400°C

Isc = 11.6 mA/cm2

Vos = 0.4 V
FF =0.45
Power conversion efficiency (AM1.5G) = 2.1%
Air-stable all-inorganic Solar Cell
I. Gur, N. A. Fromer, M. L. Geier, A. P. Alivisatos, Science 310, 463 (2005)

Aging seems to improve

device quality
to
13kh, open circuit, ambiant
Isc: -1.3%
Vos: > +10%
FF: +4.4%
Overall: +13.6%
13’000 h
(~540 d)
14h, short circuit, AM1.5G:
2% degradation in
Photocurrent
Discussion
The end?