Carbon nanotube incorporation: A new route to improve the performance of organic–inorganic heterojunction solar cells

• Published in: Diamond and related materials Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 585 - 588
• Main Authors: Somani, Savita P., Somani, Prakash R., Umeno, M.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-04-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical vapor deposition; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electrical properties characterization; Electronic device structures; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Miscellaneous; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanotubes; Natural energy; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Technology of polymers; Chemical vapor deposition; Electrical properties characterization; Nanotubes; Electronic device structures; Solar cells; Electronic properties; Electrical properties; Carbon nanotubes; CVD; Electronic structure; Excitons; Multiwalled nanotube; Charge carrier recombination; Heterojunctions; Polymers; Current density; Nanostructured materials
• ISSN: 0925-9635; 1879-0062
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2008.01.084

Incorporation of oxidized camphoric multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNs) in the polymer layer of regioregular poly(3-octylthiophene)/n-Si heterojunction solar cell is observed to improve the performance of the device by many folds. We report power conversion efficiency, open circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, and fill factor of 0.175%, 0.22 V, 2.915 mA/cm
2, 0.27 respectively, for an un-optimized cell containing MWCNs. Reference cells without MWCNs show much lower performance. Improved device performance is due to better hole transport, easy exciton splitting and suppression of charge carrier recombination as a result of incorporation of MWCNs. MWCNs, being low cost materials, seem to be promising materials for improving device performance of organic–inorganic heterojunction solar cells.