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High‐Efficiency Large‐Area Carbon Nanotube‐Silicon Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Xu Wenjing,
Wu Shiting,
Li Xinming,
Zou Mingchu,
Yang Liusi,
Zhang Zelin,
Wei Jinquan,
Hu Song,
Li Yanhui,
Cao Anyuan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.201600095
Subject(s) - materials science , carbon nanotube , strips , graphene , nanotechnology , polymer solar cell , silicon , solar cell , electrode , optoelectronics , heterojunction , composite material , chemistry
Currently studied carbon nanotube‐silicon (CNT‐Si) solar cells are based on relatively small active areas (typically <0.15 cm 2 ); increasing the active area generally leads to reduced power conversion efficiencies. This study reports CNT‐Si solar cells with active areas of more than 2 cm 2 for single cells, yet still achieving cell efficiencies of about 10%, which is the first time for CNT‐Si solar cells with an active area more than 1 cm 2 to reach the level for real applications. In this work, a controlled number of flattened highly conductive CNT strips is added, in simple arrangement, to form a CNT‐Si solar cell with CNT strips in which the middle film makes heterojunctions with Si while the top strips act as self‐similar top electrodes, like conventional metal grids. The CNT strips, directly condensed from as‐grown CNT films, not only improve the CNT‐Si junctions, but also enhance the conductivity of top electrodes without introducing contact barrier when the CNT strips are added onto the film. This property may facilitate the development of large‐area high‐performance CNT or graphene‐Si solar cells.