Solution Processed Organic/Silicon Nanowires Hybrid Heterojunction Solar Cells Using Organosilane Incorporated Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate) as Hole Transport Layers

Abstract

Hybrid heterojunction solar cells (HHSCs) using crystalline Si nanowires (SiNWs) as the absorber and conducting polymer poly­(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly­(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as the hole-selective transport layer (HTL) show great potential in both low-cost and high-power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, due to the poor wettability of the PEDOT:PSS solution on SiNWs, conformal coverage of PEDOT:PSS on SiNWs is not easy to achieve. Here, an effective method was developed to decrease the surface tension of the PEDOT:PSS and increase the wettability between PEDOT:PSS and SiNWs by incorporating organosilane into the PEDOT:PSS solution. Two kinds of organosilanes including tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMO) were selected as the additives. The surface passivation quality of the SiNWs was dramatically enhanced. The HHSCs utilizing VTMO as the additive show a higher open circuit voltage and higher PCE compared with the TMOS adding ones. By spin-coating Ag nanowires onto the PEDOT:PSS HTL layer and using spin-coated phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester as the electron-selective transport layer, a champion PCE up to 18.12% and a fill factor of 80.1% have been achieved on the full solution processed PEDOT:PSS/n-type SiNWs HHSCs. The findings provide a simple and promising method to achieve high-performance PEDOT:PSS/SiNWs HHSCs.

SnCl4-Treated Ti3C2Tx MXene Nanosheets for Schottky Junction Solar Cells with Improved Performance

“…Silicon (Si)-based Schottky junction/heterojunction solar cells having exhibited the potential to deliver a competitive power conversion efficiency (PCE) to the traditional pn junction counterparts, but with a simpler fabrication process, e . g ., low-temperature solution processing, have aroused increasing interest in recent years. , To date, various materials including PEDOT:PSS, − carbon nanotubes (CNTs), − graphene, − and some metal oxides − have been examined to make the Schottky junction/heterojunction with Si wafers. For these devices, the electron/hole transport layers (E/HTLs) that extract and transfer free electrons/holes and meanwhile block the holes/electrons from Si play an indispensable role. − Developing effective and long-term stable E/HTL materials and the device fabrication processes suitable for Si-based Schottky junction/heterojunction solar cells has been a significant effort. − …”

Organic/silicon nanowires hybrid solar cells using isobutyltriethoxysilane incorporated poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (styrenesulfonate) as hole transport layer

“…For the PEDOT:PSS/Si HHSCs with the structure of "Front PEDOT:PSS," in which the PEDOT:PSS layer acts as the optical window, efficiencies of 13%-17% [13][14][15][16][17] were achieved with spin coated PEDOT:PSS HTL and vacuum deposited electron transport layer (ETL). Very recently, efficiencies above 18% 18,19 were reported on HHSCs in which both HTL and ETL were fabricated using solution technology, which makes spraying or printing high efficiency c-Si heterojunction solar cells possible in the future. Meanwhile, devices with the "Back PEDOT:PSS" structure, where doped Si layer served as the front side ETL and PEDOT:PSS HTL was spin coated at backside of the Si substrates to prevent the parasitic absorption of PEDOT:PSS, have also been investigated and the efficiencies have recently come up to 18.8% 20 on n-Si substrates and 20.6% 21 on p-Si substrates.…”

“…The PEDOT:PSS/n‐type c‐Si heterojunction contact with an inversion layer contributes to the excellent charge separation and transport characteristics and demonstrating the potential for high power conversion efficiency (PCE). Thereby, PEDOT:PSS/Si hybrid heterojunction solar cells (HHSCs) in which n type c‐Si wafer serves as absorber and PEDOT:PSS functions as HTL have drawn significant attention due to promising PCE as well as simple and low temperature solution processing 6–28 …”

“…Organosilanes, served as silane coupling agents, have been successfully incorporated in PEDOT:PSS to enhance the adhering between the organic layer and the c‐Si surface 19,26 . In addition to the chemical crosslinking effect, some organosilanes have been widely used as the hydrophobic impregnation agents to yield a water‐repellent surface and thus prevent water absorption and chloride penetration into concrete.…”

Fast, Economical, and Reproducible Sensing from a 2D Si Wire Array: Accurate Characterization by Single Wire Spectroscopy

“…For this reason, many researchers have experimentally and theoretically investigated the field enhancement of submicron-structured Si materials for various shapes, including spheres, , dimers, disks, doughnuts, pillars, and coral structures . Research has demonstrated a large field enhancement in the visible to near IR regions, whereby the performances of solar cells, − biomedical sensors, − optical tweezers, and high-color light sources are improved in a wide spectral region.…”