Transparent Ohmic Contacts for Solution-Processed, Ultrathin CdTe Solar Cells

J. Matthew Kurley; Matthew G. Panthani; Ryan W. Crisp; Sanjini U. Nanayakkara; Gregory F. Pach; Matthew O. Reese; Margaret H. Hudson; Dmitriy S. Dolzhnikov; Vadim Tanygin; Joseph M. Luther; Dmitri V. Talapin

doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.6b00587

Transparent Ohmic Contacts for Solution-Processed, Ultrathin CdTe Solar Cells

J. Matthew Kurley, Matthew G. Panthani, Ryan W. Crisp, Sanjini U. Nanayakkara, Gregory F. Pach, Matthew O. Reese, Margaret H. Hudson, Dmitriy S. Dolzhnikov, Vadim Tanygin, Joseph M. Luther, Dmitri V. Talapin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recently, solution-processing became a viable route for depositing CdTe for use in photovoltaics. Ultrathin (∼500 nm) solar cells have been made using colloidal CdTe nanocrystals with efficiencies exceeding 12% power conversion efficiency (PCE) demonstrated by using very simple device stacks. Further progress requires an effective method for extracting charge carriers generated during light harvesting. Here, we explored solution-based methods for creating transparent Ohmic contacts to the solution-deposited CdTe absorber layer and demonstrated molecular and nanocrystal approaches to Ohmic hole-extracting contacts at the ITO/CdTe interface. We used scanning Kelvin probe microscopy to further show how the above approaches improved carrier collection by reducing the potential drop under reverse bias across the ITO/CdTe interface. Other methods, such as spin-coating CdTe/A₂CdTe₂ (A = Na, K, Cs, N₂H₅), can be used in conjunction with current/light soaking to improve PCE further.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	270-278
Number of pages	9
Journal	ACS Energy Letters
Volume	2
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.6b00587
State	Published - Jan 13 2017
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research under grant number N00014-13-1-0490, by the NSF MRSEC Program under Award No. DMR-14-20703, by the Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot program under Award Number DE-EE0005312, and by II−VI Foundation.

Funders	Funder number
NSF MRSEC Program	DMR-14-20703
Office of Naval Research	N00014-13-1-0490
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-EE0005312

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1021/acsenergylett.6b00587

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title = "Transparent Ohmic Contacts for Solution-Processed, Ultrathin CdTe Solar Cells",

abstract = "Recently, solution-processing became a viable route for depositing CdTe for use in photovoltaics. Ultrathin (∼500 nm) solar cells have been made using colloidal CdTe nanocrystals with efficiencies exceeding 12% power conversion efficiency (PCE) demonstrated by using very simple device stacks. Further progress requires an effective method for extracting charge carriers generated during light harvesting. Here, we explored solution-based methods for creating transparent Ohmic contacts to the solution-deposited CdTe absorber layer and demonstrated molecular and nanocrystal approaches to Ohmic hole-extracting contacts at the ITO/CdTe interface. We used scanning Kelvin probe microscopy to further show how the above approaches improved carrier collection by reducing the potential drop under reverse bias across the ITO/CdTe interface. Other methods, such as spin-coating CdTe/A2CdTe2 (A = Na, K, Cs, N2H5), can be used in conjunction with current/light soaking to improve PCE further.",

author = "Kurley, {J. Matthew} and Panthani, {Matthew G.} and Crisp, {Ryan W.} and Nanayakkara, {Sanjini U.} and Pach, {Gregory F.} and Reese, {Matthew O.} and Hudson, {Margaret H.} and Dolzhnikov, {Dmitriy S.} and Vadim Tanygin and Luther, {Joseph M.} and Talapin, {Dmitri V.}",

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year = "2017",

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doi = "10.1021/acsenergylett.6b00587",

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AU - Kurley, J. Matthew

AU - Panthani, Matthew G.

AU - Crisp, Ryan W.

AU - Nanayakkara, Sanjini U.

AU - Pach, Gregory F.

AU - Reese, Matthew O.

AU - Hudson, Margaret H.

AU - Dolzhnikov, Dmitriy S.

AU - Tanygin, Vadim

AU - Luther, Joseph M.

AU - Talapin, Dmitri V.

PY - 2017/1/13

Y1 - 2017/1/13

N2 - Recently, solution-processing became a viable route for depositing CdTe for use in photovoltaics. Ultrathin (∼500 nm) solar cells have been made using colloidal CdTe nanocrystals with efficiencies exceeding 12% power conversion efficiency (PCE) demonstrated by using very simple device stacks. Further progress requires an effective method for extracting charge carriers generated during light harvesting. Here, we explored solution-based methods for creating transparent Ohmic contacts to the solution-deposited CdTe absorber layer and demonstrated molecular and nanocrystal approaches to Ohmic hole-extracting contacts at the ITO/CdTe interface. We used scanning Kelvin probe microscopy to further show how the above approaches improved carrier collection by reducing the potential drop under reverse bias across the ITO/CdTe interface. Other methods, such as spin-coating CdTe/A2CdTe2 (A = Na, K, Cs, N2H5), can be used in conjunction with current/light soaking to improve PCE further.

AB - Recently, solution-processing became a viable route for depositing CdTe for use in photovoltaics. Ultrathin (∼500 nm) solar cells have been made using colloidal CdTe nanocrystals with efficiencies exceeding 12% power conversion efficiency (PCE) demonstrated by using very simple device stacks. Further progress requires an effective method for extracting charge carriers generated during light harvesting. Here, we explored solution-based methods for creating transparent Ohmic contacts to the solution-deposited CdTe absorber layer and demonstrated molecular and nanocrystal approaches to Ohmic hole-extracting contacts at the ITO/CdTe interface. We used scanning Kelvin probe microscopy to further show how the above approaches improved carrier collection by reducing the potential drop under reverse bias across the ITO/CdTe interface. Other methods, such as spin-coating CdTe/A2CdTe2 (A = Na, K, Cs, N2H5), can be used in conjunction with current/light soaking to improve PCE further.

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Transparent Ohmic Contacts for Solution-Processed, Ultrathin CdTe Solar Cells

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

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