Quantum dots gold nanoparticles/porous silicon/silicon for solar cell applications

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesis by electrolysis method as colloidal nanoparticles and deposited on both glass substrates and p-type porous silicon (PS) to prepare films by using drop casting method to improve the performance of PS/Si solar cell. PS was prepared by electrochemical etching process (ECE) for p-Si wafers. The optical properties of PS and AuNPs were examined. The structural and morphological properties for PSi and gold nanostructure (AuNSs) deposited on glass substrate have been studied by using (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) respectively. TEM testing for AuNPs was investigated. XRD pattern of PS showed that it had single crystalline structure, whereas for Au nanostructure it was polycrystalline one. AFM confirmed the nanometric size of both AuNSs and PSi it was around 40 nm for AuNSs and 62 nm for PS. The AuNPs diffusion effect on the electrical properties of PS/Si heterojunction was studied. The photovoltaic characteristics of AuNPs/PS/Si/Al Solar cell were reported and the efficiency of solar cell was 15.67% and F.F is 34.31%.