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    Quantum Dots in Solar Cells: Hugh Higinbotham

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    Rayes Swath
    Quantum dots have the potential to improve solar cell efficiency by engineering their bandgaps. Quantum dot solar cells can be made using three types of structures: metal-semiconductor junctions, polymer-semiconductor junctions, or semiconductor-semiconductor junctions using coupled quantum dots and larger semiconductor particles like TiO2. Current quantum dot solar cell efficiencies are around 10%, compared to theoretical maximum efficiencies of 34% for single junction and 45% for multi-junction solar cells. Further research aims to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

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    Quantum Dots in Solar Cells: Hugh Higinbotham

    Uploaded by

    Rayes Swath
    35 views17 pages
    Quantum dots have the potential to improve solar cell efficiency by engineering their bandgaps. Quantum dot solar cells can be made using three types of structures: metal-semiconductor junctions, polymer-semiconductor junctions, or semiconductor-semiconductor junctions using coupled quantum dots and larger semiconductor particles like TiO2. Current quantum dot solar cell efficiencies are around 10%, compared to theoretical maximum efficiencies of 34% for single junction and 45% for multi-junction solar cells. Further research aims to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

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    QD PV Presentation

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    Quantum dots have the potential to improve solar cell efficiency by engineering their bandgaps. Quantum dot solar cells can be made using three types of structures: metal-semiconductor junctions, polymer-semiconductor junctions, or semiconductor-semiconductor junctions using coupled quantum dots and larger semiconductor particles like TiO2. Current quantum dot solar cell efficiencies are around 10%, compared to theoretical maximum efficiencies of 34% for single junction and 45% for multi-junction solar cells. Further research aims to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    35 views17 pages

    Quantum Dots in Solar Cells: Hugh Higinbotham

    Uploaded by

    Rayes Swath
    Quantum dots have the potential to improve solar cell efficiency by engineering their bandgaps. Quantum dot solar cells can be made using three types of structures: metal-semiconductor junctions, polymer-semiconductor junctions, or semiconductor-semiconductor junctions using coupled quantum dots and larger semiconductor particles like TiO2. Current quantum dot solar cell efficiencies are around 10%, compared to theoretical maximum efficiencies of 34% for single junction and 45% for multi-junction solar cells. Further research aims to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

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    You are on page 1of 17

    Quantum Dots in Solar Cells

    Hugh Higinbotham

    1
    Photovoltaics (PVs)
    • Convert light to electric current
    • GHG neutral energy source
    • Currently cheaper than coal/natural gas on
    the utility scale, but not efficient enough to be
    do well in current energy market
    – Huge demand for more efficient and/or easier to
    manufacture technologies

    2
    Semiconductor Review

    (Uhl 2016) ni
    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Semiconductor_ba
    nd_structure_(lots_of_bands_2).svg

    3
    Semiconductors in PV
    • Junction (e.g. p-n) creates
    potential gradient causing
    current to flow after
    photon absorption

    (Uhl 2016)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%E2%80%93n_junction
    4
    Energy Losses
    • Resistive
    • Reflection
    • Transmission,
    absorption
    • Thermalization
    • Recombination

    Schulze et al., Energy Environ. Sci.,2015, 8,1035


    Thin Film PVs

    Todorov et al., Prog. Photovolt. (2013) 21, 82-87


    6
    Quantum Dots
    • Engineering Bandgaps to
    create different potentials
    (e.g. finite square well)
    • Surround low bandgap
    nanocrystal with higher ->
    “artificial atom” Discrete
    energy levels, closer
    spaced for larger dot

    (Riel 2008)
    QDPV Types

    (Kamat 2008)

    a) Metal-Semiconductor (Schottkey) Junction


    b) Polymer-Semiconductor
    c) Semiconductor-Semiconductor
    QDSSC 8
    Experiments
    • Experimental work in
    classifying QD mixes and their
    properties in actual PVs

    (Riel 2008) 9
    (Kamat 2008)
    Schottkey-Junction Cells

    (Kamat 2008)

    • Band bending only occurs in large metal-semiconductor junctions


    • Get improved energetics in nanoparticles with Fermi-level equilibration

    10
    Polymer-Semiconductor
    • Create junction
    between QD and
    organic polymer
    – Lower efficiencies, but
    potentially much
    cheaper to mass
    produce
    – Potential uses in medical
    devices Use of

    (Huynh 2002)
    11
    Nanorod Detail

    100nm

    100nm

    (Kamat 2008)
    QDSSC

    (Kamat 2008)

    • Coupling QDs to larger semiconductor particles to


    improve charge transfer efficiency
    • TiO2 has a larger bandgap, lower recombination rate
    • CdSe can absorb wider range of frequencies
    13
    CdSe – TiO2 Absorbance
    • Example absorption
    spectra of CdSe QDs
    coupled to TiO2
    semiconductor particles
    – Size dependence is
    maintained even in
    composite systems
    – Can match absorption to
    solar spectrum

    (Kamat 2008)

    14
    Size Effect on Efficiency
    • ICPE = Incident Photon
    to Charge-carrier-
    generation Efficiency
    • Unknown why it’s
    higher for smaller dots
    • One cool theory: hot
    electrons injected
    – Might reduce
    thermalization losses

    (Kamat 2008)

    15
    Current State of QD-PVs
    • Maximum efficiency: 10.6%
    – Compare to 34% single junction max, 45% multi-junction
    • Successful IR sensitive QD-PV
    – Efficiency above 4%
    • Initial promise and huge sample space -> high
    research potential
    – PV companies face economic and geopolitcal hurdles,
    high risk/reward market
    • Helped with better PV technology

    16
    References
    • Uhl, A., “A Solar Cell From a Material Science Perspective”, Univ. of Washington, HONORS 396 A.
    • Charles Kittel (1995) Introduction to Solid State Physics, 7th ed. Wiley, ISBN 0-471-11181-3.
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valence_and_conduction_bands (for image)
    • Schulze et al., Energy Environ. Sci.,2015, 8,103 (for image)
    • K. W. Johnston, A. G. Pattantyus-Abraham, J. P. Clifford, S. H. Myrskog, D. D. MacNeil, L. Levina, and
    E. H. Sargent, "Schottky-quantum dot photovoltaics for efficient infrared power conversion," Applie
    d Physics Letters, vol. 92, p. 151115, 2008
    .
    • J. P. Clifford, K. W. Johnston, L. Levina, E. H. Sargent , “Schottky barriers to colloidal quantum dot fil
    ms,” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 91, pp. 253117, 2007
    .
    • Kamat, Prashant V. "Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Semiconductor Nanocrystals as Light Harvesters
    †." J. Phys. Chem. C The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 112.48 (2008): 18737-8753. Web. 8 Oct.
    2016.
    • Riel, B. J. "An Introduction to Self-assembled Quantum Dots." American Journal of Physics 76.8
    (2008): 750. Web. 8 Oct. 2016.
    • Guyot-Sionnest, Philippe. "Colloidal Quantum Dots." Comptes Rendus Physique 9.8 (2008): 777-87.
    Web.
    • Huynh, W.U. “Hybrid Nanorod-Polymer Solar Cells.” Science 295.5564 (2002) 2425-427. Web. 14
    Nov. 2016
    17

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