Highly Efficient Inverted Structural Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Joining the quantum dots

30 April 2018

Scientists have developed an innovative technique for making better micro solar cells, opening the door for new applications from photodetectors to bioimaging devices, according to a study published in Advanced Materials.

Colloidal quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductor particles grown from a solution. They have attracted considerable attention due to their optical properties, tunability, and capacity for being coupled using simple, low-cost manufacturing processes.

Led by researchers from ShanghaiTech University, scientists have now produced an inverted structure quantum dot solar cell made from a nickel oxide layer that acts as the anode, and a layer of iodide combined with lead sulphide, which forms the cathode.

The design allows for a large insulating region between the layers that significantly increases the generated photocurrent, leading to quantum dot solar cells with an efficiency of nearly 10%. Further, it lays the foundations for higher efficiency devices.

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References

1. Advanced Materials 30, 1704882 (2018). doi: 10.1002/adma.201704882