Solution processed CdTe/CdSe nanocrystal solar cells with more than 5.5% efficiency by using an inverted device structure

Han Liu; Yiyao Tian; Yijie Zhang; Kuo Gao; Kuankuan Lu; Rongfang Wu; Donghuan Qin; Hongbin Wu; Zuosheng Peng; Lintao Hou; Wenbo Huang

doi:10.1039/C4TC02816C

Solution processed CdTe/CdSe nanocrystal solar cells with more than 5.5% efficiency by using an inverted device structure

Han Liu,^a Yiyao Tian,^a Yijie Zhang,^a Kuo Gao,^a Kuankuan Lu,^a Rongfang Wu,^a Donghuan Qin,*^b Hongbin Wu,^b Zuosheng Peng,^c Lintao Hou*^c and Wenbo Huang^b

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China

^b Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials & Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials & Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
E-mail: qindh@scut.edu.cn

^c Siyuan Laboratory, Department of Physics, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
E-mail: thlt@jnu.edu.cn

Abstract

CdTe/CdSe nanocrystal (NC) solar cells with an inverted structure (ITO/ZnO/CdSe/CdTe/Au) have been successfully fabricated by a simple solution process coupled with layer-by-layer sintering techniques. It was found that the device performance is strongly dependent on the annealing strategy, the thickness of the acceptor layer and on the buffer layer of ZnO when the optimal thickness of CdTe is adopted. Without the ZnO buffer layer, a thin film of the CdSe NCs on an ITO substrate shows a rougher morphology, resulting in device shunting. However, when a 40 nm-thick ZnO buffer layer and 60 nm-thick CdSe were employed, the device shows a much higher PCE of 5.81% under device conditions, post-annealing at 340 °C. This value is the highest efficiency ever reported to date for a CdTe/CdSe NC solar cell. Comparing with CdTe/CdSe NC solar cells with the normal device configuration, this device with an inverted structure simultaneously offers good Ohmic contact for carrier collection and efficient harvesting of solar photons in a wide wavelength.

Journal of Materials Chemistry C

Solution processed CdTe/CdSe nanocrystal solar cells with more than 5.5% efficiency by using an inverted device structure

Abstract

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Solution processed CdTe/CdSe nanocrystal solar cells with more than 5.5% efficiency by using an inverted device structure

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