n-Type Transition Metal Oxide as a Hole Extraction Layer in PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells

The n-type transition metal oxides (TMO) consisting of molybdenum oxide (MoO x ) and vanadium oxide (V2O x ) are used as an efficient hole extraction layer (HEL) in heterojunction ZnO/PbS quantum dot solar cells (QDSC). A 4.4% NREL-certified device based on the MoO x HEL is reported with Al as the b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nano letters 2011-08, Vol.11 (8), p.3263-3266
Main Authors: Gao, Jianbo, Perkins, Craig L, Luther, Joseph M, Hanna, Mark C, Chen, Hsiang-Yu, Semonin, Octavi E, Nozik, Arthur J, Ellingson, Randy J, Beard, Matthew C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum
Applied sciences
Carrier transport
Contact
Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science
rheology
Devices
Electronics
Energy
Exact sciences and technology
Extraction
Materials science
Molecular electronics, nanoelectronics
Nanocrystalline materials
Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization
NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
Nanostructure
Natural energy
Photovoltaic cells
Photovoltaic conversion
Physics
Quantum dots
Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices
solar (photovoltaic), solar (fuels), solid state lighting, bio-inspired, electrodes - solar, defects, charge transport, materials and chemistry by design, optics, synthesis (novel materials), synthesis (scalable processing)
Solar cells
Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells
SOLAR ENERGY
Transition metal oxides
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Summary:The n-type transition metal oxides (TMO) consisting of molybdenum oxide (MoO x ) and vanadium oxide (V2O x ) are used as an efficient hole extraction layer (HEL) in heterojunction ZnO/PbS quantum dot solar cells (QDSC). A 4.4% NREL-certified device based on the MoO x HEL is reported with Al as the back contact material, representing a more than 65% efficiency improvement compared with the case of Au contacting the PbS quantum dot (QD) layer directly. We find the acting mechanism of the hole extraction layer to be a dipole formed at the MoO x and PbS interface enhancing band bending to allow efficient hole extraction from the valence band of the PbS layer by MoO x . The carrier transport to the metal anode is likely enhanced through shallow gap states in the MoO x layer.
ISSN:1530-6984
1530-6992
DOI:10.1021/nl2015729