Broadband solar absorption enhancement via periodic nanostructuring of electrodes.
Type
ArticleAuthors
Adachi, Michael MLabelle, André J
Thon, Susanna M
Lan, Xinzheng
Hoogland, Sjoerd
Sargent, Edward H

KAUST Grant Number
KUS-11-009-21Date
2013-10-14Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/596773
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Solution processed colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells have great potential for large area low-cost photovoltaics. However, light utilization remains low mainly due to the tradeoff between small carrier transport lengths and longer infrared photon absorption lengths. Here, we demonstrate a bottom-illuminated periodic nanostructured CQD solar cell that enhances broadband absorption without compromising charge extraction efficiency of the device. We use finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations to study the nanostructure for implementation in a realistic device and then build proof-of-concept nanostructured solar cells, which exhibit a broadband absorption enhancement over the wavelength range of λ = 600 to 1,100 nm, leading to a 31% improvement in overall short-circuit current density compared to a planar device containing an approximately equal volume of active material. Remarkably, the improved current density is achieved using a light-absorber volume less than half that typically used in the best planar devices.Citation
Adachi MM, Labelle AJ, Thon SM, Lan X, Hoogland S, et al. (2013) Broadband solar absorption enhancement via periodic nanostructuring of electrodes. Scientific Reports 3. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep02928.Sponsors
This publication is based in part on work supported by an award (KUS-11-009-21) from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), by the Ontario Research Fund Research Excellence Program and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. The authors thank E. Palmiano, R. Wolowiec, D. Kopilovic, J. Flexman, J. Ing, and A. Barriere for their support during this work. The authors also thank G. Barber for optical constant measurements for the TiO<INF>2</INF> and MoO<INF>3</INF> films, and O. Voznyy, J.Y. Kim, I. J. Kramer, C. T. O. Wong, and A. Lee for valuable discussions, and A. Arjmand and N. Lui at Lumerical for technical support. M. M. A. was supported by a MITACS fellowship. X. L. would like to acknowledge a scholarship from the China Scholarship Council (CSC).Publisher
Nature Publishing GroupJournal
Scientific ReportsISSN
2045-2322PubMed ID
24121519PubMed Central ID
PMC3796292ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1038/srep02928
Scopus Count
Collections
Publications Acknowledging KAUST Support
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit
Related articles
- Nanoimprint-Transfer-Patterned Solids Enhance Light Absorption in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells.
- Authors: Kim Y, Bicanic K, Tan H, Ouellette O, Sutherland BR, García de Arquer FP, Jo JW, Liu M, Sun B, Liu M, Hoogland S, Sargent EH
- Issue date: 2017 Apr 12
- Colloidal quantum dot solar cells exploiting hierarchical structuring.
- Authors: Labelle AJ, Thon SM, Masala S, Adachi MM, Dong H, Farahani M, Ip AH, Fratalocchi A, Sargent EH
- Issue date: 2015 Feb 11
- Depleted-heterojunction colloidal quantum dot solar cells.
- Authors: Pattantyus-Abraham AG, Kramer IJ, Barkhouse AR, Wang X, Konstantatos G, Debnath R, Levina L, Raabe I, Nazeeruddin MK, Grätzel M, Sargent EH
- Issue date: 2010 Jun 22
- Numerical Study of Complementary Nanostructures for Light Trapping in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells.
- Authors: Wei J, Xiong Q, Mahpeykar SM, Wang X
- Issue date: 2016 Mar 25
- Conformal fabrication of colloidal quantum dot solids for optically enhanced photovoltaics.
- Authors: Labelle AJ, Thon SM, Kim JY, Lan X, Zhitomirsky D, Kemp KW, Sargent EH
- Issue date: 2015 May 26