Vanadium Oxide as Transparent Carrier-Selective Layer in Silicon Hybrid Solar Cells Promoting Photovoltaic Performances

• Published in: ACS applied energy materials 2019-07, Vol.2 (7), p.4873-4881
• Main Authors: Chen, Chia-Yun, Wei, Ta-Cheng, Hsiao, Po-Hsuan, Hung, Chia-Hsiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2574-0962; 2574-0962
• DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.9b00565

Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) has been proposed as a promising selective contact for holes in organic electronic devices. In this study, the strategy was undertaken for minimizing the possible charge recombination at electrode surfaces in the silicon-based hybrid solar cells and further allowed the exceptional capability for hole extraction. This was accomplished by inserting the mixed vanadium oxide (VO x ) phases based on a simplified low-temperature fabrication process. Detailed examinations of crystallinity, chemical states and compositions, topography, and optical transmittance of such VO x layer were performed, revealing the coexistence of V2O3 and V2O5 phases that facilitated the hole-selective contact due to establishing the ohmic-like interfaces as well as blocking the transport of electrons, and the optimal anneal treatment at 200 °C was further validated. On the basis of this, the insertion of a VO x electron-blocking layer in the integrated organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells was fully fabricated with solution processing methods, presenting the leading conversion efficiency of 14.4% being approximately 1.6 times superior than the conventional VO x -free hybrid solar cells. These results provided a viable rule toward realizing the high-performance and low-cost solar cells and might further offer the high potential for other functional applications based on hybrid material designs.