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    Quantum Dot Solar Cell: PH.D Course 2 Semester / 2019-2020

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    mokhalad
    The document is a Ph.D thesis submitted by Mokhalad Ali Zbalh to the University of Basrah College of Science physics department on the topic of quantum dot solar cells. It provides background on quantum dot solar cells, including their history, how they work, advantages over traditional solar cells, and methods for fabricating quantum dots through deposition and annealing processes. The thesis advisor is listed as Dr. Mazin Auny Mahdi.

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    Quantum Dot Solar Cell: PH.D Course 2 Semester / 2019-2020

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    mokhalad
    45 views7 pages
    The document is a Ph.D thesis submitted by Mokhalad Ali Zbalh to the University of Basrah College of Science physics department on the topic of quantum dot solar cells. It provides background on quantum dot solar cells, including their history, how they work, advantages over traditional solar cells, and methods for fabricating quantum dots through deposition and annealing processes. The thesis advisor is listed as Dr. Mazin Auny Mahdi.

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    The document is a Ph.D thesis submitted by Mokhalad Ali Zbalh to the University of Basrah College of Science physics department on the topic of quantum dot solar cells. It provides background on quantum dot solar cells, including their history, how they work, advantages over traditional solar cells, and methods for fabricating quantum dots through deposition and annealing processes. The thesis advisor is listed as Dr. Mazin Auny Mahdi.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    45 views7 pages

    Quantum Dot Solar Cell: PH.D Course 2 Semester / 2019-2020

    Uploaded by

    mokhalad
    The document is a Ph.D thesis submitted by Mokhalad Ali Zbalh to the University of Basrah College of Science physics department on the topic of quantum dot solar cells. It provides background on quantum dot solar cells, including their history, how they work, advantages over traditional solar cells, and methods for fabricating quantum dots through deposition and annealing processes. The thesis advisor is listed as Dr. Mazin Auny Mahdi.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    University of Basrah

    College of Science
    physics department

    Ph.D course

    2nd semester / 2019-2020

    Quantum dot solar cell

    Advisor: Dr. Mazin Auny Mahdi


    submitted by: Mokhalad Ali Zbalh
    Quantum dot solar cell

    INDEX

     Introduction
     History
     Background
     Quantum dots
     Higher Band Gap Material
     Fabrication
     References
    Introduction

     A quantum dot solar cell (QDSC ) is a solar cell design that uses
    quantum dots as the absorbing photovoltaic material.
     It attempts to replace bulk materials such as silicon, copper indium
    gallium selenide (CIGS) or CdTe.
     Quantum dots have bandgaps that are tunable across a wide range of
    energy levels by changing the dots' size.
     In bulk materials the bandgap is fixed by the choice of material. This
    property makes quantum dots attractive for multi-junction solar cells,
    where a variety of materials are used to improve efficiency by
    harvesting multiple portions of the solar spectrum.

    History

     The idea was noted by Burnhamand Duggan in 1990.


     Using quantum dots as an alternative to molecular dyes was considered
    from the earliest days of DSSC research (dye-sensitized solar cell)

    Spin-cast quantum dot solar cell built by the


    Sargent Group at the University of Toronto.
    The metal disks on the front surface are the
    electrical connections to the layers below
    Background
    Solar cell concepts

     In a conventional solar cell, light is absorbed by a semiconductor,


    producing an electron-hole (e-h) pair; referred to as an exciton.
     This pair is separated by an internal electric field and the resulting flow
    of electrons and holes creates electric current.
     The internal electric field is created by doping one part of
    semiconductor interface with atoms that act as electron donors (n-type
    doping) and another with electron acceptors (p-type doping) that
    results in a p-n junction.
     Generation of an e-h pair requires that the photons have energy
    exceeding the bandgap of the material. Effectively, photons with
    energies lower than the bandgap do not get absorbed therby reduces
    current, while those that are higher can quickly thermalize to the band
    edges & reduces the voltage.
     Using single material efficiency can not exceed 31%.

     31% efficiency is achieved with a bandgap of 1.3-1.4 eV ( light in infrared


    spectrum). This band gap is close to that of silicon (1.1 eV), thats why
    silicon dominates the market. However, silicon's efficiency is limited to
    about 29%(due to fixed band gap).
     It is possible to improve on a single-junction cell by vertically stacking
    cells with different bandgaps – termed a "Multi-junction" approach.
    The same analysis shows that a two layer cell should have one layer
    tuned to 1.64 eV and the other to 0.94 eV, providing a theoretical
    performance of 44%. A three-layer cell should be tuned to 1.83, 1.16 and
    0.71 eV, with an efficiency of 48%. An "infinity-layer" cell would have a
    theoretical efficiency of 86%.
     Traditional (crystalline) silicon preparation methods do not lend
    themselves to this approach due to lack of bandgap tunability but thinfilms
    of amorphous silicon can can be use to tune the bandgap.
     Most multi-junction-cell structures are based on higher performance
    semiconductors, notably indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs). Threelayer
    InGaAs/GaAs/InGaP cells (bandgaps 0.94/1.42/1.89 eV) hold the
    efficiency record of 42.3%.

    Quantum dots

     Quantum dots are semiconducting particles that have been reduced


    below the size of the Exciton Bohr radius .
     Quantum dots have been referred to as "artificial atoms". These energy
    levels are tuneable by changing their size, which in turn defines the
    bandgap. The dots can be grown over a range of sizes, allowing them to
    express a variety of bandgaps without changing the underlying
    material or construction techniques.
     Bohr excitation radius for Si is little less than 5 nm, so Si nano particle
    is embedded in the high band diagram dielectric material
    (SiC,SiO2,Si3N4) for possible change in band gap.
     As size of nano particle < bohr exciton radius , Ec & Ev split and move away from
    each other, means effective band gap increases.
     Change in electrical and optical properties is known as Quantum
    confinement of carriers. The small Si nanocrystals showing the
    increased band gap due to quantum confinement are called Quantum
    Dots.(QDs)
     By turning the size of Si-QDs, the band gap as high as 2.7 eV can be
    obtained.
    Higher Band Gap Material

     Si nanocrystals embedded in higher band gap materials :


    1. Silicon carbide – 2.5eV
    2. Silicon nitride – 5.3eV
    3. Silicon dioxide - 9eV
     Band gap of dielectric material (SiC, Si3N4, SiO2) affects the barrier
    height between the QD and dielectric material.
     The barrier in case of SiO2 is 3.2eV compared to Si3N4 interface of
    1.9eV, means higher electrical potential is required in injecting
    charge, and lower mobility.
    Fabrication

     Fabricated using several deposition technique:


    1. PECVD (Plasma Assisted chemical vapor deposition)
    2. HWCVD(Hot Wire CVD)
    3. LPCVD (Low Pressure CVD )
     Requirement : uniform size of distribution, high density of Si-QD
    deposition.
     Deposition of Si-rich dielectric layer followed by high temp
    annealing (800 to 1100 C).
     Another approach : deposition of alternative layers of dielectric
    material and Si containing layers followed by high temp annealing
    crystallizes amorphous layer to Si-QDs.
     Thickness of alternative layers is in the range of few nanometers
    thereby limits the growth of the QDs in the range of few nanometers

    References
     Solar Photovoltaics fundamental, technologies and applications.
    - Chetan Singh Solanki
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_dot
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_dot_solar_cell

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