Characteristics of photocurrent generation in the near-ultraviolet region in Si quantum-dot sensitized solar cells

• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2013.04.111
• Publication Date: 2013-05-01T14:39:47Z
• Authors: Giichiro Uchida; Muneharu Sato; Hyunwoong Seo; Kunihiro Kamataki; Naho Itagaki; Kazunori Koga; Masaharu Shiratani
• Keywords: Photocurrent; Ultraviolet; Quantum Efficiency

Abstract We have studied photocurrent generation in Si quantum-dot (QD) sensitized solar cells, where QD thin films composed of Si nanoparticles were deposited using the double multi-hollow discharge plasma chemical vapor deposition process in an SiH 4 /H 2 and CH 4 or N 2 gas mixture. The short-circuit current density of the Si QD sensitized solar cells increases by a factor of 2.5 by using Si nanoparticles prepared by irradiation of CH 4 or N 2 plasma onto the Si nanoparticle surface. We have measured incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) in the near-ultraviolet range using quartz-glass front panels of the QD sensitized solar cells. With decreasing the wavelength of irradiation light, IPCE gradually increases upon light irradiation in a wavelength range less than about 600 nm, and then steeply increases below 300 nm, corresponding to 2.2 times the optical band-gap energy of Si QD film.