Photo-induced surface modification to improve the performance of lead sulfide quantum dot solar

Title Photo-induced surface modification to improve the performance of lead sulfide quantum dot solar
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsTulsani, SReddy, Rath, AKumar
JournalJournal of Colloid and Interface Science
Volume522
Pagination120-125
Date PublishedJUL
Type of ArticleArticle
AbstractThe solution-processed quantum dot (QD) solar cell technology has seen significant advancements in recent past to emerge as a potential contender for the next generation photovoltaic technology. In the development of high performance QD solar cell, the surface ligand chemistry has played the important role in controlling the doping type and doping density of QD solids. For instance, lead sulfide (PbS) QDs which is at the forefront of QD solar cell technology, can be made n-type or p-type respectively by using iodine or thiol as the surfactant. The advancements in surface ligand chemistry enable the formation of p-n homojunction of PbS QDs layers to attain high solar cell performances. It is shown here, however, that poor Fermi level alignment of thiol passivated p-type PbS QD hole transport layer with the n-type PbS QD light absorbing layer has rendered the photovoltaic devices from realizing their full potential. Here we develop a control surface oxidation technique using facile ultraviolet ozone treatment to increase the p-doping density in a controlled fashion for the thiol passivated PbS QD layer. This subtle surface modification tunes the Fermi energy level of the hole transport layer to deeper values to facilitate the carrier extraction and voltage generation in photovoltaic devices. In photovoltaic devices, the ultraviolet ozone treatment resulted in the average gain of 18% in the power conversion efficiency with the highest recorded efficiency of 8.98%. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
DOI10.1016/j.jcis.2018.03.047
Type of Journal (Indian or Foreign)Foreign
Impact Factor (IF)4.233
Divison category: 
Physical and Materials Chemistry

Add new comment