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Nanotube film metallicity and its effect on the performance of carbon nanotube–silicon solar cells (Phys. Status Solidi A 7∕2014)
Author(s) -
Tune Daniel D.,
Blanch Adam J.,
Krupke Ralph,
Flavel Benjamin S.,
Shapter Joseph G.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.201470247
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , nanotube , materials science , solar cell , nanotechnology , electrode , metallicity , silicon , optoelectronics , chemistry , physics , stars , astronomy
Research into silicon solar cells that use a thin fi lm of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as the front electrode is an important area of increasing research activity. The work of Daniel D. Tune et al. (pp. 1479–1487 ), portrayed in the cover image, provides the fi rst ever direct performance comparison between solar cells fabricated either with SWCNTs sorted by the gel chromatography technique into semiconducting or metallic nanotube fractions, or with the mixed/unsorted nanotube starting material used for separation. This comparison was made to probe the effect of the semiconducting/metallic nature, or ‘metallicity’, of the nanotube front electrode on solar cell performance and properties. Despite careful control to ensure all nanotube fi lms had near identical characteristics such as transparency, very signifi cant differences in photovoltaic performance were observed, clearly demonstrating that nanotube fi lm metallicity is a key determining factor in such solar cells. Image credit: Daniel Tune and Katherine Moore