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Chen K, Johnston SW, Taylor PC, Mulder DW, Guthrey HL, Nemeth W, Theingi S, Page M, Kaupa M, Young DL, Agarwal S, Stradins P. Crystalline Si Surface Passivation with Nafion for Bulk Defects Detection with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:22736-22746. [PMID: 38650370 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c03872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In monocrystalline Si (c-Si) solar cells, identification and mitigation of bulk defects are crucial to achieving a high photoconversion efficiency. To spectroscopically detect defects in the c-Si bulk, it is desirable to passivate the surface defects. Passivation of the c-Si surface with dielectrics such as Al2O3 and SiNx requires deposition at elevated temperatures, which can influence defects in the bulk. Herein, we report on the passivation of different Czochralski (Cz) Si wafer surfaces by an organic copolymer, Nafion. We test the efficacy of the surface passivation at temperatures ranging from 6 to 473 K to detect bulk defects using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. By comparing with state-of-the-art passivation layers, including Al2O3 and liquid HF/HCl, we found that at room temperature, Nafion can provide comparable passivation of n-type Cz Si with an implied open-circuit voltage (iVoc) of 713 mV and a recombination current prefactor J0 of 5 fA/cm2. For p-type Cz Si, we obtained an iVoc of 682 mV with a J0 of 22.4 fA/cm2. Scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence reveal that Nafion can also be used to passivate the surface of c-Si solar cell fragments scribed from a solar cell module by using a laser. Consistent with previous studies, analysis of the EPR spectroscopy data confirms that the H-terminated surface is necessary, and fixed negative charge in Nafion is responsible for the field-effect passivation. While the surface passivation quality was maintained for almost 24 h, which is sufficient for spectroscopic measurements, the passivation degraded over longer durations, which can be attributed to surface SiOx growth. These results show that Nafion is a promising room-temperature surface passivation technique to study bulk defects in c-Si.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejun Chen
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Steve W Johnston
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - P Craig Taylor
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - David W Mulder
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Harvey L Guthrey
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - William Nemeth
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - San Theingi
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Matthew Page
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Markus Kaupa
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - David L Young
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Sumit Agarwal
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Paul Stradins
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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Hu XG, Zhao YM, Yang H, Hou PX, Liu C, Chang J, Hao Y. Interfacial Chemical Bridging Constructed by Multifunctional Lewis Acid for Carbon Nanotube/Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells with an Efficiency Approaching 17.7. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206989. [PMID: 36815396 PMCID: PMC10161097 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Single-wall carbon nanotube/silicon (SWCNT/Si) heterojunction shows appealing potential for use in photovoltaic devices. However, the relatively low conductivity of SWCNT network and interfacial recombination of carriers have limited their photovoltaic performance. Herein, a multifunctional Lewis acid (p-toluenesulfonic acid, TsOH) is used to significantly reduce the energy loss in SWCNT/Si solar cells. Owing to the charge transfer doping effect of TsOH, the conductivity and work function of SWCNT films are optimized and tuned. More importantly, a chemical bridge is constructed at the interface of SWCNT/Si heterojunction. Experimental studies indicate that the phenyl group of TsOH can interact with SWCNTs through π-π interaction, meanwhile, the oxygen in the sulfonic functional group of the TsOH molecule can graft on the dangling bonds of the Si surface. The chemical bridge structure effectively suppresses the recombination of photogenerated carriers. The TsOH coating also works as an antireflection layer, leading to a 19% increment of the photocurrent. As a result, a champion power conversion efficiency of 17.7% is achieved for the TsOH-SWCNT/Si device, and it also exhibits an excellent stability, retaining more than 96% of the initial efficiency in the ambient air after 1 month.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-Gang Hu
- Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Center for Flexible Electronics, Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
| | - Yi-Ming Zhao
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Hongyu Yang
- Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Center for Flexible Electronics, Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
| | - Peng-Xiang Hou
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Jingjing Chang
- Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Center for Flexible Electronics, Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
- State Key Discipline Laboratory of Wide Band Gap Semiconductor Technology, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
| | - Yue Hao
- Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Center for Flexible Electronics, Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
- State Key Discipline Laboratory of Wide Band Gap Semiconductor Technology, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
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Zhou X, Wan L, Li H, Yang X, Chen J, Ge K, Yan J, Zhang C, Gao Q, Zhang X, Guo J, Li F, Wang J, Song D, Wang S, Flavel BS, Chen J. Multi-Carrier Generation in Organic-Passivated Black Silicon Solar Cells with Industrially Feasible Processes. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2205848. [PMID: 36564362 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202205848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The innate inverse Auger effect within bulk silicon can result in multiple carrier generation. Observation of this effect is reliant upon low high-energy photon reflectance and high-quality surface passivation. In the photovoltaics industry, metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) to afford black silicon (b-Si) can provide a low high-energy photon reflectance. However, an industrially feasible and cheaper technology to conformally passivate the outer-shell defects of these nanowires is currently lacking. Here, a technology is introduced to infiltrate black silicon nanopores with a simple and vacuum-free organic passivation layer that affords millisecond-level minority carrier lifetimes and matches perfectly with existing solution-based processing of the MACE black silicon. Advancements such as the demonstration of an excellent passivation effect whilst also being low reflectance provide a new technological route for inverse Auger multiple carrier generation and an industrially feasible technical scheme for the development of the MACE b-Si solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhou
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Lu Wan
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Han Li
- Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von- Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Xueliang Yang
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Jingwei Chen
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Kunpeng Ge
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Cuili Zhang
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Qing Gao
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Xuning Zhang
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Jianxin Guo
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Feng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials & Technology, Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd., Baoding, 071051, China
| | - Jianming Wang
- Das Solar Co., Ltd., No 43 Bailing South Road, Quzhou Green Industry Clustering Zone, Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, 324022, China
| | - Dengyuan Song
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
- Das Solar Co., Ltd., No 43 Bailing South Road, Quzhou Green Industry Clustering Zone, Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, 324022, China
| | - Shufang Wang
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Benjamin S Flavel
- Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von- Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Jianhui Chen
- Advanced Passivation Technology Lab, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
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Yan J, Zhang C, Li H, Yang X, Wan L, Li F, Qiu K, Guo J, Duan W, Lambertz A, Lu W, Song D, Ding K, Flavel BS, Chen J. Stable Organic Passivated Carbon Nanotube-Silicon Solar Cells with an Efficiency of 22. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:e2102027. [PMID: 34473427 PMCID: PMC8529485 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202102027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The organic passivated carbon nanotube (CNT)/silicon (Si) solar cell is a new type of low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell, with challenges concerning the stability of the organic layer used for passivation. In this work, the stability of the organic layer is studied with respect to the internal and external (humidity) water content and additionally long-term stability for low moisture environments. It is found that the organic passivated CNT/Si complex interface is not stable, despite both the organic passivation layer and CNTs being stable on their own and is due to the CNTs providing an additional path for water molecules to the interface. With the use of a simple encapsulation, a record power conversion efficiency of 22% is achieved and a stable photovoltaic performance is demonstrated. This work provides a new direction for the development of high-performance/low-cost photovoltaics in the future and will stimulate the use of nanotubes materials for solar cells applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yan
- Hebei Key Lab of Optic‐Electronic Information and MaterialsCollege of Physics Science and TechnologyHebei UniversityBaoding071002China
| | - Cuili Zhang
- Hebei Key Lab of Optic‐Electronic Information and MaterialsCollege of Physics Science and TechnologyHebei UniversityBaoding071002China
| | - Han Li
- Institute of NanotechnologyKarlsruhe Institute of Technology76344Eggenstein‐LeopoldshafenGermany
| | - Xueliang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials & TechnologyYingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd.Baoding071051China
| | - Lu Wan
- Hebei Key Lab of Optic‐Electronic Information and MaterialsCollege of Physics Science and TechnologyHebei UniversityBaoding071002China
| | - Feng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials & TechnologyYingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd.Baoding071051China
| | - Kaifu Qiu
- IEK5‐PhotovoltaicsForschungszentrum JülichWilhelm‐Johnen‐Strasse52425JülichGermany
| | - Jianxin Guo
- Hebei Key Lab of Optic‐Electronic Information and MaterialsCollege of Physics Science and TechnologyHebei UniversityBaoding071002China
| | - Weiyuan Duan
- IEK5‐PhotovoltaicsForschungszentrum JülichWilhelm‐Johnen‐Strasse52425JülichGermany
| | - Andreas Lambertz
- IEK5‐PhotovoltaicsForschungszentrum JülichWilhelm‐Johnen‐Strasse52425JülichGermany
| | - Wanbing Lu
- Hebei Key Lab of Optic‐Electronic Information and MaterialsCollege of Physics Science and TechnologyHebei UniversityBaoding071002China
| | - Dengyuan Song
- Hebei Key Lab of Optic‐Electronic Information and MaterialsCollege of Physics Science and TechnologyHebei UniversityBaoding071002China
- State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials & TechnologyYingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd.Baoding071051China
| | - Kaining Ding
- IEK5‐PhotovoltaicsForschungszentrum JülichWilhelm‐Johnen‐Strasse52425JülichGermany
| | - Benjamin S. Flavel
- Institute of NanotechnologyKarlsruhe Institute of Technology76344Eggenstein‐LeopoldshafenGermany
| | - Jianhui Chen
- Hebei Key Lab of Optic‐Electronic Information and MaterialsCollege of Physics Science and TechnologyHebei UniversityBaoding071002China
- Institute of NanotechnologyKarlsruhe Institute of Technology76344Eggenstein‐LeopoldshafenGermany
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Ren Q, Qiu J, Lv X, Li HY, Yan L, Meng C, Yang Y, Mai Y. Tailoring the Vertical Morphology of Organic Films for Efficient Planar-Si/Organic Hybrid Solar Cells by Facile Nonpolar Solvent Treatment. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:25075-25080. [PMID: 32420724 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c02063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The optical and electrical properties of the blending organic film poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are strongly affected by its morphology, resulting in the performance variation in Si/organic hybrid solar cells. Here, a facile postsolvent treatment is used to tailor the vertical morphology of PEDOT:PSS by introducing a nonpolar solvent. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth-profiling measurements show that the distribution of PEDOT and PSS on the surface of n-type Si can be changed by nonpolar solvent n-hexane (NHX) treatment, where more PSS aggregate at the bottom of the blend film and more PEDOT float up to the top, as compared with the reference sample. As a result, after NHX treatment, the average lifetime of the Si/organic films is increased from 152 μs for untreated samples to 248 μs for NHX-treated ones because of the better passivation effect of PSS on Si. Moreover, the transmission line model measurements indicate that the contact resistance (RC) of PEDOT:PSS film and the Ag electrode is decreased for better charge collection after NHX treatment. Eventually, the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.78% for NHX-treated planar solar cells is obtained, much higher than the PCE (with best of 12.78%) of reference devices without nonpolar solvent treatment. Our results provide a facile method to tailor the vertical morphology of the PEDOT:PSS in Si/organic hybrid solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyou Ren
- Institute of New Energy Technology, College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jufeng Qiu
- Institute of New Energy Technology, College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiaoning Lv
- Institute of New Energy Technology, College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Huan-Yong Li
- Analytical and Testing Center, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Li Yan
- Institute of New Energy Technology, College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Chunfeng Meng
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, China
| | - Yuzhao Yang
- Institute of New Energy Technology, College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yaohua Mai
- Institute of New Energy Technology, College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
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Canham L. Introductory lecture: origins and applications of efficient visible photoluminescence from silicon-based nanostructures. Faraday Discuss 2020; 222:10-81. [DOI: 10.1039/d0fd00018c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This review highlights many spectroscopy-based studies and selected phenomenological studies of silicon-based nanostructures that provide insight into their likely PL mechanisms, and also covers six application areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh Canham
- School of Physics and Astronomy
- University of Birmingham
- Birmingham
- UK
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Ji W, Zhao Y, Fahad HM, Bullock J, Allen T, Lien DH, De Wolf S, Javey A. Dip Coating Passivation of Crystalline Silicon by Lewis Acids. ACS NANO 2019; 13:3723-3729. [PMID: 30830749 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b01038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The reduction of carrier recombination processes by surface passivation is vital for highly efficient crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells and bulk wafer metrological characterization. Herein, we report a dip coating passivation of silicon surfaces in ambient air and temperature with Nafion, achieving a champion effective carrier lifetime of 12 ms on high resistivity n-type c-Si, which is comparable to state-of-the-art passivation methods. Nafion is a nonreactive polymer with strong Lewis acidity, thus leading to the formation of a large density of fixed charges at silicon surface, 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than what is achievable with conventional thin-film passivation layers. Notably, Nafion passivates the c-Si surface only by the fixed charges without chemical modification of dangling bonds, which is fundamentally different from the common practice of combining chemical with field-effect passivation. This dip coating process is simple and robust, without the need for complex equipment or parameter optimization as there is no chemical reaction involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Ji
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences , University of California , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
- Materials Sciences Division , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
- Materials Science and Engineering , University of California , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - Yingbo Zhao
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences , University of California , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
- Materials Sciences Division , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - Hossain M Fahad
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences , University of California , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
- Materials Sciences Division , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - James Bullock
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences , University of California , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
- Materials Sciences Division , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - Thomas Allen
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC) , King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) , Thuwal 23955-6900 , Saudi Arabia
| | - Der-Hsien Lien
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences , University of California , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
- Materials Sciences Division , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - Stefaan De Wolf
- KAUST Solar Center (KSC) , King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) , Thuwal 23955-6900 , Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali Javey
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences , University of California , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
- Materials Sciences Division , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
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