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

36 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.

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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.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 American Chemical Society.",

year = "2017",

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doi = "10.1021/acsenergylett.6b00587",

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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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JO - ACS Energy Letters

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IS - 1

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

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