A simple and scalable graphene patterning method and its application in CdSe nanobelt/graphene Schottky junction solar cells

Abstract

We have developed a simple and scalable graphene patterning method using electron-beam or ultraviolet lithography followed by a lift-off process. This method, with the merits of: high pattern resolution and high alignment accuracy, being free from additional etching or harsh processes, being universal to arbitrary substrates, and being compatible to Si microelectronic technology, can easily be applied to diverse graphene-based devices, especially in array-based applications, where large-scale graphene patterns are desired. We have applied this method to fabricate CdSe nanobelt (NB)/graphene Schottky junction solar cells, which have potential applications in integrated nano-optoelectronic systems. A typical as-fabricated solar cell shows excellent photovoltaic behavior, with an open-circuit voltage of ∼0.51 V, a short-circuit current density of ∼5.75 mA cm(-2), and an energy conversion efficiency of ∼1.25%. We attribute the high performance of the cell to the as-patterned high-performance graphene, which can form an ideal Schottky contact with CdSe NB. Our results suggest that both the developed graphene patterning method and the as-fabricated CdSe NB/graphene Schottky junction solar cells have reachable application prospects.