Sputtered ZnO seed layer enhances photovoltaic behavior in hybrid ZnO/P3HT solar cells

Luisa Whittaker-Brooks; Jeffrey M. Mativetsky; Arthur Woll; Detlef Smilgies; Yueh Lin Loo

doi:10.1016/j.orgel.2013.09.023

Sputtered ZnO seed layer enhances photovoltaic behavior in hybrid ZnO/P3HT solar cells

Luisa Whittaker-Brooks, Jeffrey M. Mativetsky, Arthur Woll, Detlef Smilgies, Yueh Lin Loo

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigated the characteristics of inverted solar cells comprising bulk-heterojunction active layers of ZnO nanowire arrays and poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT. By utilizing a sputtered ZnO seed layer, we are able to grow vertically oriented ZnO nanowire arrays homoepitaxially. Unlike the ZnO nanowires that are grown on sol-gel derived seed layers, our nanowires are more uniform in their dimensions and spatial distribution. This sputtered seed layer also acts as the hole-blocking layer when these nanowire arrays are incorporated in solar cells; hybrid solar cells comprising these nanowires and P3HT exhibit power conversion efficiencies of 1.6%. To date, this is the highest efficiency observed for ZnO nanowire arrays:P3HT hybrid solar cells.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	3477-3483
Number of pages	7
Journal	Organic Electronics
Volume	14
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgel.2013.09.023
State	Published - 2013

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Biomaterials
General Chemistry
Condensed Matter Physics
Materials Chemistry
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Keywords

Hybrid solar cells
Sputtered seed layer
Uniform nanowire growth
ZnO nanowire arrays

Access to Document

10.1016/j.orgel.2013.09.023

Cite this

@article{4d6cc86429ae4d1c9a868cbbdc72ed03,

title = "Sputtered ZnO seed layer enhances photovoltaic behavior in hybrid ZnO/P3HT solar cells",

abstract = "We investigated the characteristics of inverted solar cells comprising bulk-heterojunction active layers of ZnO nanowire arrays and poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT. By utilizing a sputtered ZnO seed layer, we are able to grow vertically oriented ZnO nanowire arrays homoepitaxially. Unlike the ZnO nanowires that are grown on sol-gel derived seed layers, our nanowires are more uniform in their dimensions and spatial distribution. This sputtered seed layer also acts as the hole-blocking layer when these nanowire arrays are incorporated in solar cells; hybrid solar cells comprising these nanowires and P3HT exhibit power conversion efficiencies of 1.6%. To date, this is the highest efficiency observed for ZnO nanowire arrays:P3HT hybrid solar cells.",

keywords = "Hybrid solar cells, Sputtered seed layer, Uniform nanowire growth, ZnO nanowire arrays",

author = "Luisa Whittaker-Brooks and Mativetsky, {Jeffrey M.} and Arthur Woll and Detlef Smilgies and Loo, {Yueh Lin}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by ONR{\textquoteright}s Photovoltaic Program ( N00014-11-10328 ) and an NSF-sponsored MRSEC through the Princeton Center for Complex Materials ( DMR-0819860 ), which also provided access to the PRISM Imaging and Analysis Center. GIXD experiments were conducted at CHESS, which is supported by NSF and NIH/NIGMS under award DMR-0936384 . ",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.1016/j.orgel.2013.09.023",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "14",

pages = "3477--3483",

journal = "Organic Electronics",

issn = "1566-1199",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "12",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sputtered ZnO seed layer enhances photovoltaic behavior in hybrid ZnO/P3HT solar cells

AU - Whittaker-Brooks, Luisa

AU - Mativetsky, Jeffrey M.

AU - Woll, Arthur

AU - Smilgies, Detlef

AU - Loo, Yueh Lin

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by ONR’s Photovoltaic Program ( N00014-11-10328 ) and an NSF-sponsored MRSEC through the Princeton Center for Complex Materials ( DMR-0819860 ), which also provided access to the PRISM Imaging and Analysis Center. GIXD experiments were conducted at CHESS, which is supported by NSF and NIH/NIGMS under award DMR-0936384 .

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - We investigated the characteristics of inverted solar cells comprising bulk-heterojunction active layers of ZnO nanowire arrays and poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT. By utilizing a sputtered ZnO seed layer, we are able to grow vertically oriented ZnO nanowire arrays homoepitaxially. Unlike the ZnO nanowires that are grown on sol-gel derived seed layers, our nanowires are more uniform in their dimensions and spatial distribution. This sputtered seed layer also acts as the hole-blocking layer when these nanowire arrays are incorporated in solar cells; hybrid solar cells comprising these nanowires and P3HT exhibit power conversion efficiencies of 1.6%. To date, this is the highest efficiency observed for ZnO nanowire arrays:P3HT hybrid solar cells.

AB - We investigated the characteristics of inverted solar cells comprising bulk-heterojunction active layers of ZnO nanowire arrays and poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT. By utilizing a sputtered ZnO seed layer, we are able to grow vertically oriented ZnO nanowire arrays homoepitaxially. Unlike the ZnO nanowires that are grown on sol-gel derived seed layers, our nanowires are more uniform in their dimensions and spatial distribution. This sputtered seed layer also acts as the hole-blocking layer when these nanowire arrays are incorporated in solar cells; hybrid solar cells comprising these nanowires and P3HT exhibit power conversion efficiencies of 1.6%. To date, this is the highest efficiency observed for ZnO nanowire arrays:P3HT hybrid solar cells.

KW - Hybrid solar cells

KW - Sputtered seed layer

KW - Uniform nanowire growth

KW - ZnO nanowire arrays

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84888296394&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84888296394&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.orgel.2013.09.023

DO - 10.1016/j.orgel.2013.09.023

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84888296394

SN - 1566-1199

VL - 14

SP - 3477

EP - 3483

JO - Organic Electronics

JF - Organic Electronics

IS - 12

ER -

Sputtered ZnO seed layer enhances photovoltaic behavior in hybrid ZnO/P3HT solar cells

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this