Recent progress in colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics

doi:10.1007/s12200-015-0524-9

Front. Optoelectron.

2015, Vol. 8

Issue (3) : 241-251 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12200-015-0524-9

REVIEW ARTICLE

Recent progress in colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics

Xihua WANG(

)

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada

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Abstract

The development of photovoltaic devices, solar cells, plays a key role in renewable energy sources. Semiconductor colloidal quantum dots (CQDs), including lead chacolgenide CQDs that have tunable electronic bandgaps from infrared to visible, serve as good candidates to harvest the broad spectrum of sunlight. CQDs can be processed from solution, allowing them to be deposited in a roll-to-roll printing process compatible with low-cost fabrication of large area solar panels. Enhanced multi-exciton generation process in CQD, compared with bulk semiconductors, enables the potential of exceeding Shockley-Queisser limit in CQD photovoltaics. For these advantages, CQDs photovoltaics attract great attention in academics, and extensive research works accelerate the development of CQD based solar cells. The record efficiency of CQD solar cells increased from 5.1% in 2011 to 9.9% in 2015. The improvement relies on optimized material processing, device architecture and various efforts to improve carrier collection efficiency. In this review, we have summarized the progress of CQD photovoltaics in year 2012 and after. Here we focused on the theoretical and experimental works that improve the understanding of the device physics in CQD solar cells, which may guide the development of CQD photovoltaics within the research community.

Keywords colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cell photovoltaics carrier extraction light trapping

Corresponding Author(s): Xihua WANG

Just Accepted Date: 23 July 2015 Online First Date: 24 August 2015 Issue Date: 18 September 2015

Cite this article:

Xihua WANG. Recent progress in colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics[J]. Front. Optoelectron., 2015, 8(3): 241-251.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/foe/EN/10.1007/s12200-015-0524-9
https://academic.hep.com.cn/foe/EN/Y2015/V8/I3/241

Fig.1 Performance of CQD photovoltaics as a function of passivation (reprinted from Ref. [15])

Fig.2 Model and charge transport in CQD photovotlaics (reprinted from Ref. [21])

Fig.3 Inverted quantum junction devices leverage process-compatible n- and p-type CQD solids (reprinted from Ref. [27])

Fig.4 Photovoltaic device architectures and performance (reprinted from Ref. [30])

Fig.5 Fabricated nanostructured CQD solar cells (reprinted from Ref. [36])

Fig.6 Plasmonic−excitonic solar cell device design and characterization (reprinted from Ref. [41])

Fig.7 Illustrating the increased-light-path advantage of pyramid-patterned electrodes (reprinted from Ref. [44])

Fig.8 n-type CQD ink based solar cells (reprinted from Ref. [46])

Fig.9 Illustration of spray-coating technique and finished CQD devices (reprinted from Ref. [47])

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