Long Lifetime Of Photo-generated Carriers Research Articles

Passivation of surface states in the ZnO nanowire with thermally evaporated copper phthalocyanine for hybrid photodetectors

The adsorption of O2/H2O molecules on the ZnO nanowire (NW) surface results in the long lifetime of photo-generated carriers and thus benefits ZnO NW-based ultraviolet photodetectors by suppressing the dark current and improving the photocurrent gain, but the slow adsorption process also leads to slow detector response time. Here we show that a thermally evaporated copper phthalocyanine film is effective in passivating surface trap states of ZnO NWs. As a result, the organic/inorganic hybrid photodetector devices exhibit simultaneously improved photosensitivity and response time. This work suggests that it could be an effective way in interfacial passivation using organic/inorganic hybrid structures.

Extremely long carrier lifetime at intermediate states in wall-inserted type II quantum dot absorbers

To realize highly efficient intermediate-band solar cells (IB-SCs), a long lifetime of photo-generated carriers in the IB is essential. We propose a new concept for this purpose based on IB absorbers using quantum-dots (QDs). By inserting potential walls between QDs and barriers that form a type II band alignment, electrons in the IB and holes in the valence band are farther separated compared to those in a conventional type II QD material, leading to significant reduction of radiative recombination. We designed a concrete structure using InAs QDs, GaAs1−xSbx barriers, and GaAs walls to find the suitable GaAs wall thickness and Sb content being 2 nm and x = 0.18, respectively, and demonstrated a lifetime of electrons excited to the IB as long as 220 ns.

Control of an interfacial MoSe2 layer in Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin film solar cells: 8.9% power conversion efficiency with a TiN diffusion barrier

We have examined Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) solar cells prepared by thermal co-evaporation on Mo-coated glass substrates followed by post-deposition annealing under Se ambient. We show that the control of an interfacial MoSe2 layer thickness and the introduction of an adequate Se partial pressure (PSe) during annealing are essential to achieve high efficiency CZTSe solar cells—a reverse correlation between device performance and MoSe2 thickness is observed, and insufficient PSe leads to the formation of defects within the bandgap as revealed by photoluminescence measurements. Using a TiN diffusion barrier, we demonstrate 8.9% efficiency CZTSe devices with a long lifetime of photo-generated carriers.

Extremely long carrier lifetime over 200 ns in GaAs wall-inserted type II InAs quantum dots

To realize highly efficient intermediate-band (IB) solar cells, long lifetime of photo-generated carriers in the IB is essential. For this purpose, we propose a concept for IB absorbers using GaAs wall-inserted type II InAs quantum-dots (QDs), in which electrons at the IB of the InAs QDs and holes in the valence band of the GaAsSb layers are farther separated compared to those in conventional type II QDs. We fabricated InAs/GaAs/GaAs0.82Sb0.18 type II QDs and performed time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. The obtained lifetime was as long as 220 ns for electrons at the IB.