Photovoltaic Measurements in Single-Nanowire Silicon Solar Cells

Kelzenberg, Michael D.; Turner-Evans, Daniel B.; Kayes, Brendan M.; Filler, Michael A.; Putnam, Morgan C.; Lewis, Nathan S.; Atwater, Harry A.

doi:10.1021/nl072622p

Cited by 565 publications

(498 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…[8][9][10][11][12] NWs can be classified according to the number of degrees of freedom (DoF) they possess, which represent fundamental physical coordinates along which their structure can be manipulated. Axial and radial (core/shell) modulated NWs have 1 and 2 DoF, respectively, and have been extensively studied and characterized.…”

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confidence: 99%

Facet-Selective Growth on Nanowires Yields Multi-Component Nanostructures and Photonic Devices

Kempa¹,

Kim

Day

et al. 2013

J. Am. Chem. Soc.

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Enhanced synthetic control of the morphology, crystal structure, and composition of nanostructures can drive advances in nanoscale devices. Axial and radial semiconductor nanowires are examples of nanostructures with one and two structural degrees of freedom, respectively, and their synthetically tuned and modulated properties have led to advances in nanotransistor, nanophotonic, and thermoelectric devices. Similarly, developing methods that allow for synthetic control of greater than two degrees of freedom could enable new opportunities for functional nanostructures. Here we demonstrate the first regioselective nanowire shell synthesis in studies of Ge and Si growth on faceted Si nanowire surfaces. The selectively deposited Ge is crystalline and its facet position can be synthetically controlled in situ. We use this synthesis to prepare electrically-addressable nanocavities into which solution soluble species such as Au nanoparticles can be incorporated. The method furnishes multi-component nanostructures with unique photonic properties and presents a more sophisticated nanodevice platform for future applications in catalysis and photodetection.Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) represent a diverse class of nanomaterials whose synthetically-tunable structural, electronic, and optical properties 1-3 have enabled active nanodevices including high-performance field-effect transistors, 4 ultra-sensitive biological probes, 5-7 and solar cells and photonic devices with tunable optical spectra. [8][9][10][11][12] NWs can be classified according to the number of degrees of freedom (DoF) they possess, which represent fundamental physical coordinates along which their structure can be manipulated. Axial and radial (core/shell) modulated NWs have 1 and 2 DoF, respectively, and have been extensively studied and characterized. 2,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Nevertheless, the properties of nanostructures possessing greater complexity and anisotropy have not been determined.A nanostructure with 3 DoF and higher can be realized by breaking the rotational symmetry of conventional radial shell growth ( Figure 1A). A high-resolution scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a faceted core/shell Si NW ( Figure 1B) reveals well-defined surfaces that were previously indexed 9 as {111}, {011}, and {113}. NWs with this same morphology and set of surface facets serve as the faceted templates from which all subsequent nanostructures in this study are grown. Following chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis of the SiNW templates, 9 introduction of GeH 4 and H 2 at lower tem- perature and pressure into the same reactor (Supporting Information) yields a new product featuring selective material deposition on the {111} and {011} Si surface facets ( Figure 1B). Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) performed on the nanostructure ( Figure 1C) confirms the elemental identity of the deposited material as Ge and reveals that facet selectivity is preserved along the length of the nanostructure. A planview transmission electron micrograph (...

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Facet-Selective Growth on Nanowires Yields Multi-Component Nanostructures and Photonic Devices

Kempa¹,

Kim

Day

et al. 2013

J. Am. Chem. Soc.

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“…This is to date, the best result obtained in a solid state nanowire solar cell. 16,17,18,19 In order to get more insight in the functioning of the nanowire p-i-n junction, spatially resolved photocurrent measurements were realized. The contacted nanowires were mounted on an x-y piezostage of a confocal microscope.…”

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confidence: 99%

Gallium arsenide p-i-n radial structures for photovoltaic applications

Colombo

Heiβ

Grätzel

et al. 2009

Applied Physics Letters

283

228

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* Equal contributionGallium arsenide p-i-n radial junctions were fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy. The current-voltage characteristics of single nanowires were measured in the dark and under various illumination conditions including 1.5 AM. The total efficiency was 4.5%. Spatially resolved and power dependent photocurrent measurements indicate that the p-i-n junction is homogeneous along the nanowire. Electroluminescence measurements show an emission peak at about 1,4 eV, further corroborating the good quality of the nanowire. These results constitute an important progress for the use of nanowires in photovoltaic applications.

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“…Th e diameters of the wires have to be designed to be less than twice the minority carrier diff usion length (100-1,000 nm) [17,18]. Th is type of nanoscale design will be particularly helpful when the carrier diff usion lengths are small, that is, the material is highly defective.…”

Section: Photovoltaicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy production and conversion applications of one-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures

Chattopadhyay¹,

Chen

2011

NPG Asia Mater

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W ith the projected world demand for energy reaching 612 quadrillion Btu (~649×10 18 J or 33 GW-yrs) in 2020 and the associated problem of carbon emission, it has become necessary to look for every enabling technology that may assist in reaching that goal in a sustainable way. Th is daunting task can broadly be classifi ed into two areas of research. Th e fi rst area includes enhancing the effi ciencies of existing 'power-consuming' technologies as well as energy generation and conversion. For example, the use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may push external effi ciencies up to 50%, against 13% for conventional technologies such as fl uorescent lamps. Th e use of sustainable energy generation by solar photovoltaics not only contributes to energy supply but also controls carbon emission. Th e second area includes efficient energy-storage systems, such as fuel cells and lithium batteries, for the portable electronic devices that continue to percolated throughout human society.Th e advent of nanoscience has shed light on almost every fi eld of science and technology, particularly in the development of renewable energies. Among the vast varieties of nanomaterials that have been developed, onedimensional (1D) nanomaterials with their inherent large specifi c surface areas and continuous transport path for charge carriers are useful for energy harvesting and conversion applications, which are mostly associated with surface reaction and carrier transport. When the diameter of a material is reduced below a critical value, the additional advantage of 1D materials, such as surface band bending-enhanced photoconductivity or even ballistic transport, may appear, which further enhances their carrier transport properties and hence energy conversion effi ciency. Extensive investigations have been made in this direction aiming to enhance the effi ciency of energy conversion and harvesting while lowering the cost of the aforementioned devices. In this review, selected 1D nanomaterials and their applications in energy conversion and generation technologies such as photonics, photovoltaics, photocatalysis and fuel cells will be covered. Solid-state lighting and LEDsIncreased technology effi ciency will eventually lower the demand for energy. For example, approximately 20% of world energy demand is for lighting purposes, which can be reduced through the effi cient use of LEDs instead of the fl uorescent, incandescent or high-pressure discharge lamps commonly used today. Group III nitride materials such as AlN, GaN and InN dominate in the fi eld of LEDs. However, ternary and quaternary compounds arising out of a mix of these, for example Al x Ga 1-x N and In x Ga 1-x N, can have their bandgaps, and hence emission, tuned from deep ultraviolet (UV) to the infrared by adjusting the composition fraction x [1]. Th ese materials are hard to grow due to the scarcity of lattice-matched substrates, which has led to defects in the crystal that deteriorate the device's optoelectronic properties. One-dimensional nanowires (NWs), on the other h...

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Photovoltaic Measurements in Single-Nanowire Silicon Solar Cells

Cited by 565 publications

References 29 publications

Facet-Selective Growth on Nanowires Yields Multi-Component Nanostructures and Photonic Devices

Facet-Selective Growth on Nanowires Yields Multi-Component Nanostructures and Photonic Devices

Gallium arsenide p-i-n radial structures for photovoltaic applications

Energy production and conversion applications of one-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures

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