Radiative Efficiency Limit with Band Tailing Exceeds 30% for Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Jean, Joel; Mahony, Thomas S.; Bozyigit, Deniz; Sponseller, Melany; Holovský, Jakub; Bawendi, Moungi G.; Bulović, Vladimir

doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.7b00923

Cited by 105 publications

(129 citation statements)

References 62 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

117

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…7 This relation seems to hold for most photovoltaic absorber layers, even though the link between EU and the minimal reported WOC value has remained so far mainly empirical. Nevertheless, it is clear that by considering the EU value a more realistic device efficiency limit may be obtained, compared with the Shockley-Queisser one 11 . These empirical findings motivate the search for a deeper, more fundamental understanding of the relation between EU and VOC.…”

Section: Toc Graphicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature Dependence of the Urbach Energy in Lead Iodide Perovskites

Ledinský

Schönfeldová

Holovský

et al. 2019

J. Phys. Chem. Lett.

Self Cite

223

266

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To gain insight into the properties of photovoltaic and light-emitting materials, detailed information about their optical absorption spectra is essential. Here, we elucidate the temperature dependence of such spectra for methylammonium lead iodide (CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 ), with specific attention to its sub-band gap absorption edge (often termed Urbach energy). On the basis of these data, we first find clear further evidence for the universality of the correlation between the Urbach energy and open-circuit voltage losses of solar cells. Second, we find that for CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 the static, temperature-independent, contribution of the Urbach energy is 3.8 ± 0.7 meV, which is smaller than that of crystalline silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), or gallium nitride (GaN), underlining the remarkable optoelectronic properties of perovskites.

show abstract

Section: Toc Graphicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature Dependence of the Urbach Energy in Lead Iodide Perovskites

Ledinský

Schönfeldová

Holovský

et al. 2019

J. Phys. Chem. Lett.

Self Cite

223

266

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] QDs offer bandgap tunability into the infrared as well as room-temperature film deposition compatible with low-cost, flexible plastic substrates. The remarkably low voltage loss observed in perovskite QD devices makes them a promising top-cell candidate for tandem solar cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthesis cost dictates the commercial viability of lead sulfide and perovskite quantum dot photovoltaics

Jean

Xiao

Nick

et al. 2018

Energy Environ. Sci.

Self Cite

115

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Any new solar photovoltaic (PV) technology must reach low production costs to compete with today's marketleading crystalline silicon and commercial thin-film PV technologies. Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) could open up new applications by enabling lightweight and flexible PV modules. However, the cost of synthesizing nanocrystals at the large scale needed for PV module production has not previously been investigated. Based on our experience with commercial QD scale-up, we develop a Monte Carlo model to analyze the cost of synthesizing lead sulfide and metal halide perovskite QDs using 8 different reported synthetic methods. We also analyze the cost of solution-phase ligand exchange for preparing deposition-ready PbS QD inks, as well as the manufacturing cost for roll-to-roll solution-processed PV modules using these materials. We find that present QD synthesis costs are prohibitively high for PV applications, with median costs of 11 to 59 $ per g for PbS QDs (0.15 to 0.84 $ per W for a 20% efficient cell) and 73 $ per g for CsPbI 3 QDs (0.74 $ per W). QD ink preparation adds 6.3 $ per g (0.09 $ per W). In total, QD materials contribute up to 55% of the total module cost, making even roll-to-roll-processed QDPV modules significantly more expensive than silicon PV modules. These results suggest that the development of new low-cost synthetic methods is critically important for the commercial relevance of QD photovoltaics. Using our cost model, we identify strategies for reducing synthetic cost and propose a cost target of 5 $ per g to move QD solar cells closer to commercial viability. Broader contextColloidal quantum dots (QDs) have been widely investigated as an avenue toward ultra-low-cost solar photovoltaics (PV), alongside organics and metal halide perovskites. It is often implicitly assumed-and explicitly stated-that QD-based PV technologies can reach low cost because they employ low-cost, abundant elements and low-temperature, high-throughput manufacturing processes. However, this argument holds true only if QDs can be synthesized at low cost-materials dictate the module cost floor. Here we report the first detailed analysis of the cost of large-scale QD synthesis for PV applications. Our Monte Carlo approach constitutes a complete cost modeling framework for QD photovoltaics, from raw precursors to finished modules. We find that QD synthesis is prohibitively expensive today, highlighting the importance of synthetic cost for the commercial viability of QD solar technologies and guiding further research toward promising synthetic directions.

show abstract

“…Despite these recent strides in performance, there remains room to improve CQD solar cells in short circuit current ( J SC ), fill factor (FF), and open‐circuit voltage ( V OC ) . Understanding of the origins of present‐day limits to performance has progressed thanks to research focused on the energetic distribution of imperfections—bandedge and trap states . Some losses have been ascribed to specific regions and interfaces within the active layer; however, the spatial distribution of these imperfections and their impact on performance has yet to be measured in CQD solar cells operando.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Collection in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Ouellette

Lesage‐Landry

Scheffel

et al. 2019

Adv Funct Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In thin-film photovoltaic (PV) research and development, it is of interest to determine where the chief losses are occurring within the active layer. Herein, a method is developed and presented by which the spatial distribution of charge collection, operando, is ascertained, and its application in colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells is demonstrated at a wide range of relevant bias conditions. A systematic computational method that relies only on knowledge of measured optical parameters and bias-dependent external quantum efficiency spectra is implemented. It is found that, in CQD PV devices, the region near the thiol-treated hole-transport layer suffers from low collection efficiency, as a result of bad band alignment at this interface. The active layer is not fully depleted at short-circuit conditions, and this accounts for the limited short-circuit current of these CQD solar cells. The high collection efficiency outside of the depleted region agrees with a diffusion length on the order of hundreds of nanometers. The method provides a quantitative tool to study the operating principles and the physical origins of losses in CQD solar cells, and can be deployed in thin-film solar cell device architectures based on perovskites, organics, CQDs, and combinations of these materials.

show abstract

Radiative Efficiency Limit with Band Tailing Exceeds 30% for Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Cited by 105 publications

References 62 publications

Temperature Dependence of the Urbach Energy in Lead Iodide Perovskites

Temperature Dependence of the Urbach Energy in Lead Iodide Perovskites

Synthesis cost dictates the commercial viability of lead sulfide and perovskite quantum dot photovoltaics

Spatial Collection in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About