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Research Article

High-efficiency CNT-Si solar cells based on a collaborative system enabled by oxide penetration

Xuewei Zhao1,§, Wenjing Xu1,§, Yizeng Wu1, Huaisheng Wu1, Zhiyuan Xia1, Huiyi Xu1, Yuanyuan Shang2, Jinquan Wei3, Anyuan Cao1( )
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
School of Physics and Microelectronics, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
State Key Lab of New Ceramics and Fine Processing; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

§Xuewei Zhao and Wenjing Xu contributed equally to this work.

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Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Carbon nanotube-silicon (CNT-Si) solar cells represent one of the alternative photovoltaic techniques with potential for low cost and high efficiency. Here, we report a method to improve solar cell performance by depositing conventional transitional metal oxides such as WO3 and establishing a collaborative system, in which CNTs are well-embedded within the WO3 layer and both of them are in close contact to Si substrate. This unique collaborative system optimizes the overall energy conversion process including the light absorption (antireflection by WO3), carrier separation (forming quasi p-n junction) and charge collection (CNT conductive network throughout the oxide layer). Combining with our previous TiO2-coating and HNO3-doping techniques, a solar cell efficiency of >18% at an active area of 0.09 cm 2 (air mass 1.5, 100 mW/cm2) was achieved. The oxide-enhanced CNT-Si solar cells which integrate the advantages of traditional semiconductors and novel nanostructures represent a promising route toward next-generation high-performance silicon-based photovoltaics.

Keywords

carbon nanotube-silicon (CNT-Si) solar cellhigh-efficiencyWO3collaborative system

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Nano Research
Volume 15 Issue 3,
March 2022
Pages 2497-2504
DOI: 10.1007/s12274-021-3749-5
Cite this article:
Zhao X, Xu W, Wu Y, et al. High-efficiency CNT-Si solar cells based on a collaborative system enabled by oxide penetration. Nano Research, 2022, 15(3): 2497-2504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3749-5
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Received: 04 June 2021
Revised: 12 July 2021
Accepted: 14 July 2021
Published: 07 August 2021
© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
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