CdSe Nanocrystal Quantum Dots Based Hybrid Heterojunction Solar Cell

Semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) have recently attracted considerable interest for use in photovoltaics. Band gaps of NQDs can be tuned over a considerable range by varying the particle size thereby allowing enhance absorption of solar spectrum. NQDs, synthesized using colloidal routes, are solution processable and promise for a large-area fabrication. Recent advancements in multiple-exciton generation in NQD solutions have afforded possible efficiency improvements. Various architectures have attempted to utilize the NQDs in photovoltaics, such as NQD-sensitized solar cell, NQD-bulk-heterojuction solar cell and etc. Here we have fabricated CdSe NQDs with the band gap of 1.8 eV to 2.1 eV on thin-layers of p-type organic crystallites (1.61 eV) to realize a donor-acceptor type heterojuction solar cell. Simple structure as it was, we could control the interface of electrode-p-layer, and n-p-layer and monitor the following efficiency changes. Specifically, surface molecules adsorbed on the NQDs were critical to enhance the carrier transfer among the n-layer where we could verify by measuring the photo-response from the NQD layers only. Further modifying the annealing temperature after the deposition of NQDs on p-layers allowed higher conversion efficiencies in the device.