Abstract
Significant efforts are being devoted to the development of multifunctional thin-film heterostructures and nanostructured material architectures for components with novel applications of superconductivity, multiferroicity, solar photocatalysis and energy conversion. In particular, nanostructured assemblies with well-defined geometrical shapes have emerged as possible high efficiency and economically viable alternatives to planar photovoltaic thin-film architectures. By exploiting phase-separated self-assembly, here we present advances in a vertically oriented two-component system that offers potential for future development of nanostructured thin film solar cells. Through a single-step deposition by magnetron sputtering, we demonstrate growth of an epitaxial, composite film matrix formed as self-assembled, well ordered, phase segregated, and oriented nanopillars of n-type TiO2 and p-type Cu2O. The composite films were structurally characterized to atomic resolution by a variety of analytical tools, and evaluated for preliminary optical properties using absorption measurements. We find nearly atomically distinct TiO2-Cu2O interfaces (i.e., needed for possible active p-n junctions), and an absorption profile that captures a wide range of the solar spectrum extending from ultraviolet to visible wavelengths. This high-quality materials system could lead to photovoltaic devices that can be optimized for both incident light absorption and carrier collection.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 352-356 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Materials Research Bulletin |
Volume | 48 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2013 |
Funding
T.A. and M.E. were supported by U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Advanced Cables and Conductors program and Ö.P. D.K.C., M.P.P., A.R.L., and S.J.P. were supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. W.W. was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy. D.F.B. acknowledges the support of the ORISE postdoctoral fellowship. XRD and SEM research conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, and Microscopy (A.R.L. and S.J.P.) and XPS (H.M.M.) research conducted at Shared Research Equipment (SHaRE) User Facilities, which are sponsored at Oak Ridge National Laboratory by the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy.
Funders | Funder number |
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Scientific User Facilities Division | |
U.S. Department of Energy | |
Basic Energy Sciences | |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory | |
Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering |
Keywords
- A. Nanostructures
- A. Thin films
- B. Epitaxial growth
- B. Sputtering
- D. Microstructure