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Applied Physics Letters / Volume 97 / Issue 5 / ORGANIC ELECTRONICS AND PHOTONICS
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Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 053302 (2010); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3465866 (3 pages)

Flame-made niobium doped zinc oxide nanoparticles in bulk heterojunction solar cells

Viruntachar Kruefu1,2, Eric Peterson1, Chanitpa Khantha1,2, Chawarat Siriwong2, Sukon Phanichphant2, and David L. Carroll1

1Center For Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27105, USA
2Nanosciences and Nanotechnology Program, Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

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(Received 12 March 2010; accepted 9 June 2010; published online 2 August 2010)

We report fabrication and measurement of bulk heterojunction solar cells utilizing a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) composite loaded with different concentrations of niobium doped zinc oxide (Nb/ZnO) nanoparticles produced by flame spray pyrolysis. Nanoparticles with different niobium concentrations were compared, along with devices without Nb/ZnO nanoparticles and with undoped ZnO nanoparticles. It was found that niobium doping leads to a slight increase in open circuit voltage and an increase in short circuit current that scales with niobium concentration. Additional comparison was made between the nanoparticles with 3% niobium by weight to unloaded devices. These also showed a similar open circuit voltage increase and an increase in current that scales with Nb/ZnO nanoparticle concentration to 30% by volume and drops off at 33% Nb/ZnO by volume. Possible mechanisms for these improvements are discussed.

© 2010 American Institute of Physics

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

doping, nanoparticles, niobium, polymer blends, pyrolysis, short-circuit currents, solar cells, zinc compounds

PACS

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3465866

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0003-6951 (print)  
1077-3118 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

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Figures (click on thumbnails to view enlargements)

FIG.1
Device structure and energy level diagram of the components. (a) Schematic device structure for P3HT:PCBM BHJ solar cell with ZnO NPs. (b) Energy level diagram of the components of the device (relative to vacuum level).

FIG.1 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

FIG.2
The effects of Nb/ZnO loading with different Nb concentrations on device performance. (a) EQE spectra and (b) J-V curves under 120 mW/cm2 white light illumination.

FIG.2 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

FIG.3
The effects of the 3 mol % Nb/ZnO concentration on device performance. (a) EQE spectra of the device fabricated using BHJ films with 3 mol % Nb/ZnO concentration of 24, 27, 30, and 33 vol %. The inset shows absorption spectra of P3HT:PCBM:Nb/ZnO films at various concentrations of Nb/ZnO solution blended into the P3HT:PCBM active layer. (b) The J-V curves of P3HT:PCBM:Nb/ZnO solar cells measured in the ambient atmosphere with 120 mW cm−2 white-light irradiation.

FIG.3 Download High Resolution Image (.zip file) | Export Figure to PowerPoint

Supplemental Files (EPAPS)



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