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arXiv · 1204.2728

Urchin-inspired zinc oxide as building blocks for nanostructured solar cells

Jamil Elias·Mikhael Bechelany·Ivo Utke·Rolf Erni·Davood Hosseini·Johann Michler·Laetitia Philippe
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Abstract

High surface area nanowire based architectures have been identified as important components for future optoelectronic nanodevices, solar cells, wettability coatings, gas sensors, and biofuel cells. Here we report on a novel urchin-inspired nanowire architecture: its interwoven three-dimensional, high-surface-area nanowire arrangement can be precisely controlled by using a low-cost and scalable synthesis based on a combination of nanosphere lithography, low-temperature atomic layer deposition, and electrodeposition. The performance of single-layer arrays of urchin-inspired ZnO nanowire building blocks competes to that of planar nanowire carpets. We illustrate this capability by fabricating fully-inorganic extremely thin absorber solar cells using CdSe as absorber and CuSCN as hole-collector material. The light diffusion of the urchin-inspired nanowire arrays was varied from 15% to 35%. Homogenous absorption in the wavelength range of 400-800 nm of up to 90% was obtained. Solar conversion efficiencies of ~ 1.33% were achieved.

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Jamil Elias, Mikhael Bechelany, Ivo Utke, Rolf Erni, Davood Hosseini, Johann Michler, Laetitia Philippe. 2012-04-12. Urchin-inspired zinc oxide as building blocks for nanostructured solar cells. https://arxiv.org/abs/1204.2728

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