9.1% efficient zinc oxide/silicon solar cells on a 50 μm thick Si absorber

• Rafal Pietruszka,
• Bartlomiej S. Witkowski,
• Monika Ozga,
• Katarzyna Gwozdz,
• Ewa Placzek-Popko and
• Marek Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 766–774, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.60

• structured top electrodes were examined by numerous measuring techniques. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a grain-like morphology of the magnesium-doped zinc oxide film. The size of the grains is closely related to the structure of the nanorods. The external quantum efficiency of the cells was measured

• the light-trapping effect. The impact of light-trapping on the operation of solar cells is presented by means of current–voltage curves. In contrast, sample B showed a flat surface morphology. The average RMS roughness value was 9 nm. Therefore, interference peaks in external quantum efficiency (EQE

• ) measurements were visible. Figure 5a shows the EQE as a function of the wavelength. The measurements were carried out in the wavelength range from 300 to 1200 nm. For photon energies greater than the ZnO bandgap, significant contributions to the external quantum efficiency were not observed. High-energy

Impact of GaAs(100) surface preparation on EQE of AZO/Al₂O₃/p-GaAs photovoltaic structures

• Piotr Caban,
• Rafał Pietruszka,
• Jarosław Kaszewski,
• Monika Ożga,
• Bartłomiej S. Witkowski,
• Krzysztof Kopalko,
• Piotr Kuźmiuk,
• Katarzyna Gwóźdź,
• Ewa Płaczek-Popko,
• Krystyna Lawniczak-Jablonska and
• Marek Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 578–592, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.48

• /interface needs to be properly prepared. In the experiments described here we examined eight different paths of GaAs surface treatment (cleaning, etching, passivation) which resulted in different external quantum efficiency (EQE) values of the tested photovoltaic (PV) cells. Atomic force microscopy (AFM

• solution with no final passivation. Subsequent I–V measurements, however, confirmed that from these samples, only the sulfur-passivated ones provided the highest current density. The tested devices were fabricated by using the ALD method. Keywords: atomic layer deposition; external quantum efficiency

• improves optical and electrical properties of gallium arsenide-based devices [31][32][33]. In this work we examine the influence of the surface treatment of GaAs (cleaning, etching, and passivation) on the external quantum efficiency (EQE) results of the AZO/Al2O3/p-GaAs PV structures (in which AZO stands

Semitransparent Sb₂S₃ thin film solar cells by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis for use in solar windows

• Jako S. Eensalu,
• Atanas Katerski,
• Erki Kärber,
• Lothar Weinhardt,
• Monika Blum,
• Clemens Heske,
• Wanli Yang,
• Ilona Oja Acik and
• Malle Krunks

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2396–2409, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.230

• resistivity (ρ) of 100–150 nm thick Sb2S3 films on glass/TiO2 substrate was measured by the collinear four-wire technique and by van der Pauw measurements to be in the range of 2–3 × 106 Ω cm, as anticipated. Figure 3b shows the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of solar cells with 70, 100 and 150 nm thick

• source meter. The light intensity was regulated for the light intensity dependence measurements using gray filters (metal meshes with varied hole size). The external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectra were measured using a monochromatized light source (Newport 300 W Xenon lamp, 69911 with a monochromator

Polyvinylpyrrolidone as additive for perovskite solar cells with water and isopropanol as solvents

• Chen Du,
• Shuo Wang,
• Xu Miao,
• Wenhai Sun,
• Yu Zhu,
• Chengyan Wang and
• Ruixin Ma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2374–2382, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.228

• UV–vis light absorption measurements were performed by using a spectrophotometer (Shimadzu UV-3101 PC). The external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements were obtained on a Keithley 2000 multimeter as a function of the wavelength from 350 to 800 nm on the basis of a Spectral Products DK240

• precursor solution is found to be effective in increasing the Voc. The short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) exhibits no significant difference, which has also been manifested by measuring the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the two samples over the entire wavelength range from 350 to 800 nm (Figure

Nontoxic pyrite iron sulfide nanocrystals as second electron acceptor in PTB7:PC₇₁BM-based organic photovoltaic cells

• Olivia Amargós-Reyes,
• José-Luis Maldonado,
• Omar Martínez-Alvarez,
• María-Elena Nicho,
• José Santos-Cruz,
• Juan Nicasio-Collazo,
• Irving Caballero-Quintana and
• Concepción Arenas-Arrocena

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2238–2250, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.216

• OPV sets were fabricated and tested, and the results followed the same trend. Figure 6a shows the best values measured. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) plots of the OPVs are shown in Figure 6b. The EQE curves indicate that the photocurrent is generated mainly in the 400–750 nm range, in

• reference cell. Current density versus voltage (J–V) curves were measured using a Keithley 2450 source meter under ambient conditions. External quantum efficiency (EQE or IPCE) was measured in a home-built EQE set up [32]. A potentiostat/galvanostat PARTAT 2273 system was used for the IS measurements. The

Electroluminescence and current–voltage measurements of single-(In,Ga)N/GaN-nanowire light-emitting diodes in a nanowire ensemble

• David van Treeck,
• Johannes Ledig,
• Gregor Scholz,
• Jonas Lähnemann,
• Mattia Musolino,
• Abbes Tahraoui,
• Oliver Brandt,
• Andreas Waag,
• Henning Riechert and
• Lutz Geelhaar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1177–1187, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.117

• possibility to correlate the EL intensity of a single-NW LED with the actual current density in this NW. This way, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) can be investigated as a function of the current in a single-NW LED. The comparison of the EQE characteristic of single NWs and the ensemble device allows

• employed here a very powerful analysis tool. Keywords: electroluminescence; external quantum efficiency (EQE); nanowire LED; single nanowire; current–voltage; Introduction Group-III nitride nanowire (NW) ensembles have been employed for a wide range of applications, especially optoelectronic devices [1

• series resistances as well as the threshold voltages of the single NWs. Finally, we analyze the dependence of the external quantum efficiency (EQE) on the current in single-NW LEDs. By comparing the trends for single and ensemble measurements, we estimate the number of active NWs in the ensemble LED

Geometrical optimisation of core–shell nanowire arrays for enhanced absorption in thin crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells

• Robin Vismara,
• Olindo Isabella,
• Andrea Ingenito,
• Fai Tong Si and
• Miro Zeman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 322–331, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.31

• calibrated at Fraunhofer ISE. For external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements, the setup used in this work was custom-built. It comprises a Newport illuminator/monochromator, a chopper, a substrate holder (with magnetic pads to hold the probes), and a lock-in amplifier. A calibrated monocrystalline

Electrolyte tuning in dye-sensitized solar cells with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) iron(II) sensitizers

• Mariia Karpacheva,
• Catherine E. Housecroft and
• Edwin C. Constable

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3069–3078, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.285

• cm−2 for electrolyte E2e (0.01 M MBI). DSCs with these two electrolytes exhibit values of VOC in the range 292–374 mV (Supporting Information File 1, Table S3) and overall photoconversion efficiencies of 0.47–0.57% (or 7.8–9.5% with respect to N719 set to 100%). External quantum efficiency (EQE

Near-infrared light harvesting of upconverting NaYF₄:Yb³⁺/Er³⁺-based amorphous silicon solar cells investigated by an optical filter

• Daiming Liu,
• Qingkang Wang and
• Qing Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2788–2793, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.260

• exhibited an 25% improved short-circuit current and an appreciable improvement of the near-infrared response of the external quantum efficiency. Moreover, because the size of the nanorods is comparable to the wavelength of visible light, the rods effectively scattered light, thus enhancing the visible light

• point (0.45 V, 12.45 mA). The inset shows a photograph with the active area of ca. 0.84 cm2. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) curve in Figure 3c reveals that almost no photocurrent is generated when the wavelength of light is longer than 800 nm. The transmittance spectrum of a-Si:H solar cell

Performance analysis of rigorous coupled-wave analysis and its integration in a coupled modeling approach for optical simulation of complete heterojunction silicon solar cells

• Ziga Lokar,
• Benjamin Lipovsek,
• Marko Topic and
• Janez Krc

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2315–2329, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.216

• results of the simulations and discuss the potential and suggestions for improvements in external quantum efficiency (EQE) and short-circuit current density, JSC, of the HJ Si solar cell by applying different textures (nano, micro and combined nano + micro) to the solar cell structure. As an extension of

• carriers from the c-Si wafer and neglected contributions of carriers from thin amorphous layers (replicating state-of-the-art devices). Under this realistic assumption, the A can be assumed to be equal to the external quantum efficiency, EQE, of the device [18]. In this case, the potential JSC of the solar

Two-dimensional photonic crystals increasing vertical light emission from Si nanocrystal-rich thin layers

• Lukáš Ondič,
• Marian Varga,
• Ivan Pelant,
• Alexander Kromka,
• Karel Hruška and
• Robert G. Elliman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2287–2296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.213

• been demonstrated. Promising results have also recently been achieved for electroluminescent SiNCs embedded in SiC film [21] and in electroluminescent capacitive structures [22]. Studies that investigated possibilities to improve external quantum efficiency of such devices using photonic structures

Lead-free hybrid perovskites for photovoltaics

• Oleksandr Stroyuk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2209–2235, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.207

• organo–inorganic bromoantimonate (N-ethylpyridinium)3SbBr6 forms perovskite-like 3D crystalline framework compounds that have great potential as solar cell absorbers [173]. A solar cell based on the particular (N-ethylpyridinium)3SbBr6 displayed an external quantum efficiency of ≈80% and a PCE of ≈4

Spin-coated planar Sb₂S₃ hybrid solar cells approaching 5% efficiency

• Pascal Kaienburg,
• Benjamin Klingebiel and
• Thomas Kirchartz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2114–2124, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.200

• obtained from solar simulator measurements are confirmed by external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements shown in Figure S4, Supporting Information File 1. The cell from an Sb2S3 layer crystallized at 300 °C shows a lower Voc and Jsc than the cell crystallized at 265 °C. At 350 °C, the Voc drops

• , 2 min). New features in the morphology come along with increased defect absorption (g) and deteriorated device performance (h) for conditions uncritical in the Sb-TU process. Chemical structure of the applied polymers (a). Sun simulator (b) and external quantum efficiency (c,d) measurements of FTO

Sb₂S₃ grown by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and its application in a hybrid solar cell

• Erki Kärber,
• Atanas Katerski,
• Ilona Oja Acik,
• Arvo Mere,
• Valdek Mikli and
• Malle Krunks

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1662–1673, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.158

• . External quantum efficiency The external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the glass/ITO/TiO2/Sb2S3/P3HT/Au solar cell is presented in Figure 7. The gain of EQE is almost linear when increasing the number of cycles from three to nine, which could be expected considering a homogeneous decrease of the

• layers assuming a direct optical transition. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the solar cells was measured in the range of 350–1000 nm on a Newport Oriel kit that contains a 300 W Xe lamp, high-resolution monochromator (Cornerstone 260), digital dual-channel lock-in detector (Merlin), and a

• corresponding sketch of the solar cell. External quantum efficiency of glass/ITO/TiO2/Sb2S3/P3HT/Au solar cells. Sb2S3 layer was grown by spray pyrolysis of a precursor solution with an Sb/S molar ratio of 1:6 using three, five and nine deposition cycles. A review of the main parameters (VOC, JSC, FF, eff.) of

Graphene quantum interference photodetector

• Mahbub Alam and
• Paul L. Voss

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 726–735, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.74

• ), low intensity light couples two resonant energy levels, resulting in scattering and differential transmission of current with an external quantum efficiency of up to 5.2%. In the second regime of operation, full current switching is caused by the phase decoherence of the current due to a strong photon

• flux in one or both of the interferometer arms in the same MZI structure. Graphene QI photodetectors have several distinct advantages: they are of very small size, they do not require p- and n-doped regions, and they exhibit a high external quantum efficiency. Keywords: decoherence; graphene

• small, and that the photodetector has a high internal quantum efficiency of 50% and external quantum efficiency of up to 5.2%. By varying the device dimensions or using different resonant peaks, this structure can be used to detect light of various photon energies. Device geometry The device has a

Observation of a photoinduced, resonant tunneling effect in a carbon nanotube–silicon heterojunction

• Carla Aramo,
• Antonio Ambrosio,
• Michelangelo Ambrosio,
• Maurizio Boscardin,
• Paola Castrucci,
• Michele Crivellari,
• Marco Cilmo,
• Maurizio De Crescenzi,
• Francesco De Nicola,
• Emanuele Fiandrini,
• Valentina Grossi,
• Pasqualino Maddalena,
• Maurizio Passacantando,
• Sandro Santucci,
• Manuela Scarselli and
• Antonio Valentini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 704–710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.71

• mW of light intensity) for incident light of wavelengths ranging from 378 to 980 nm. When illuminated by the monochromatic intensity of a filtered xenon lamp, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) trend is similar to that of the LED illuminated experiment, as shown in Figure 5d. It should be noted

• . The conversion efficiency of light radiation to photocurrent is maximum at 730 nm, with an external quantum efficiency of ≈92%, and an EQE of ≈43% at 378 nm. No saturation phenomena were observed at high intensity, and no significant differences between the diffuse light of a xenon lamp and the

• heterojunction. (a) Photocurrent induced by a 730 nm continuous wave, low power light source at various illumination intensities. (b) Photocurrent linearity at a drain voltage 15 V and wavelength of 730 nm. (c) Photocurrent induced at different wavelengths. (d) Comparison between the device external quantum

Influence of size, shape and core–shell interface on surface plasmon resonance in Ag and Ag@MgO nanoparticle films deposited on Si/SiO_x

• Sergio D’Addato,
• Daniele Pinotti,
• Maria Chiara Spadaro,
• Guido Paolicelli,
• Vincenzo Grillo,
• Sergio Valeri,
• Luca Pasquali,
• Luca Bergamini and
• Stefano Corni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 404–413, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.40

• achieved in organic solar cells by incorporating Ag NPs on surface-modified transparent electrodes [8], and in LEDs by increasing their external quantum efficiency [6]. On the other hand, a number of studies on the optical properties of noble metal NPs on different surfaces have been performed [10][11

Low-cost plasmonic solar cells prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis

• Erki Kärber,
• Atanas Katerski,
• Ilona Oja Acik,
• Valdek Mikli,
• Arvo Mere,
• Ilmo Sildos and
• Malle Krunks

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2398–2402, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.249

• external quantum efficiency spectra were used to evaluate the solar cell performance. This work investigates the effect of the location of the Au-NP layer deposition (front side vs rear side) in the solar cell and the effect of varying the volume (2.5–10 mL) of the sprayed Au precursor solution. A 63

• . The external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the solar cells was measured in the range of 300–1000 nm on a Newport Oriel kit that contains a 300 W Xe lamp, high-resolution monochromator (Cornerstone 260), digital dual-channel lock-in detector (Merlin), and a calibrated silicon reference detector. The Xe

• Discussion A sketch of the solar cell is presented in Figure 1A for the design where the Au-NP layer follows the ITO layer and in Figure 1B for the configuration where the Au-NP layer follows the CuInS2 layer. The corresponding external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectra of the solar cells are presented in

Biomolecule-assisted synthesis of carbon nitride and sulfur-doped carbon nitride heterojunction nanosheets: An efficient heterojunction photocatalyst for photoelectrochemical applications

• Hua Bing Tao,
• Hong Bin Yang,
• Jiazang Chen,
• Jianwei Miao and
• Bin Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 770–777, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.89

• of CN/CNS heterostructure > CN > CNS. The low photocurrent density might be due to the poor contact among CN particles and FTO substrate. Figure 6d shows the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of CN, CNS and the CN/CNS heterostructure, which matches well with the corresponding photocurrent density. It

• 1.5G filter (Newport, 81094) and a UV-filter (Newport, FSQ-GG420) (cut off: 420 nm). Prior to each measurement, the light intensity was determined by a calibrated silicon photodiode. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) was measured under +0.4 V external bias (three-electrode) condition. The

• bias vs Ag/AgCl under simulated sunlight (AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm2) and visible light (λ > 420 nm). (d) External quantum efficiency (EQE) of CN, CNS and CN/CNS photoelectrodes. Supporting Information Supporting Information File 50: Additional experimental data. Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge

Photovoltaic properties of ZnO nanorods/p-type Si heterojunction structures

• Rafal Pietruszka,
• Bartlomiej S. Witkowski,
• Grzegorz Luka,
• Lukasz Wachnicki,
• Sylwia Gieraltowska,
• Krzysztof Kopalko,
• Eunika Zielony,
• Piotr Bieganski,
• Ewa Placzek-Popko and
• Marek Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 173–179, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.17

• for sample C. Consequently, the best PV response is observed for sample C with a value of 3.6%. Figure 5 shows the external quantum efficiency measured with an illumination in the range of 350–1200 nm. The investigated PV structures react to the light from 380 nm to 1150 nm. For all samples the

• characteristics for the ZnO:Al/ZnONR/Si/Al heterostructures measured under dark (top) and under light conditions (down). SEM images of the three investigated types of structures with different surface morphologies. External quantum efficiency of the PV structures of samples A, B and C based on zinc oxide nanorods

Structural, electronic and photovoltaic characterization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes grown directly on stainless steel

• Luca Camilli,
• Manuela Scarselli,
• Silvano Del Gobbo,
• Paola Castrucci,
• Eric Gautron and
• Maurizio De Crescenzi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 360–367, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.42

• highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Notably, a broadening of the π-plasmon peak in the case of MWCNTs is evident. In addition, a photocurrent was measured when MWCNTs were airbrushed onto a silicon substrate. External quantum efficiency (EQE) and photocurrent values were reported both in planar

• geometry gives a photocurrent intensity and an external quantum efficiency (EQE) value much higher than those measured in the in-plane configuration. Results and Discussion In Figure 1 the chemical vapour deposition chamber used to grow the CNTs is displayed. The stainless-steel substrate is mounted on a

• silicon photodiode and data were collected by a lock-in technique. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) is defined as the fraction of the incident photons, Nph, converted into photocurrent, i.e., the number of the generated electron–hole pairs, Ne–h, multiplied by the electronic charge, e. The number of