Hybrid Perovskite Quantum Dot/Non-Fullerene Molecule Solar Cells with Efficiency Over 15%

Organic-inorganic hybrid film using conjugated materials and quantum dots (QDs) are of great interest for solution-processed optoelectronic devices, including photovoltaics (PVs). However, it is still challenging to fabricate conductive hybrid films to maximize their PV performance. Herein, for the first time, superior PV performance of hybrid solar cells consisting of CsPbI₃ perovskite QDs and Y6 series non-fullerene molecules is demonstrated and further highlights their importance on hybrid device design. In specific, a hybrid active layer is developed using CsPbI₃ QDs and non-fullerene molecules, enabling a type-II energy alignment for efficient charge transfer and extraction. Additionally, the non-fullerene molecules can well passivate the QDs, reducing surface defects and energetic disorder. The champion CsPbI₃ QD/Y6-F hybrid device has a record-high efficiency of 15.05% for QD/organic hybrid PV devices, paving a new way to construct solution-processable hybrid film for efficient optoelectronic devices.     

量子阱太阳能电池的外量子效率

通过实验比较了砷化镓量子阱太阳能电池与不含量子阱结构的普通砷化镓太阳能电池的外量子效率. 结果表明,量子阱太阳能电池吸收光子的波长从870nm 扩展到了1000nm. 当波长小于680nm时,量子阱太阳能电池的外量子效率低于普通太阳能电池;而当波长大于于680nm时,量子阱太阳能电池的外量子效率高于普通太阳能电池. 对这个现象给出了解释,并对用量子阱太阳能电池代替三结电池的中间子电池的可能性进行了讨论.     

量子阱太阳能电池的外量子效率

通过实验比较了砷化镓量子阱太阳能电池与不含量子阱结构的普通砷化镓太阳能电池的外量子效率.结果表明,量子阱太阳能电池吸收光子的波长从870nm扩展到了1000nm.当波长小于680nm时,量子阱太阳能电池的外量子效率低于普通太阳能电池;而当波长大于于680nm时,量子阱太阳能电池的外量子效率高于普通太阳能电池.对这个现象给出了解释,并对用量子阱太阳能电池代替三结电池的中间子电池的可能性进行了讨论.     

All-Inorganic CsPbI3 Quantum Dot Solar Cells with Efficiency over 16% by Defect Control

All-inorganic CsPbI₃ quantum dots (QDs) have shown great potential in photovoltaic applications. However, their performance has been limited by defects and phase stability. Herein, an anion/cation synergy strategy to improve the structural stability of CsPbI₃ QDs and reduce the pivotal iodine vacancy (V_I) defect states is proposed. The Zn-doped CsPbI₃ (Zn:CsPbI₃) QDs have been successfully synthesized employing ZnI₂ as the dopant to provide Zn²⁺ and extra I⁻. Theoretical calculations and experimental results demonstrate that the Zn:CsPbI₃ QDs show better thermodynamic stability and higher photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) compared to the pristine CsPbI₃ QDs. The doping of Zn in CsPbI₃ QDs increases the formation energy and Goldschmidt tolerance factor, thereby improving the thermodynamic stability. The additional I⁻ helps to reduce the V_I defects during the synthesis of CsPbI₃ QDs, resulting in the higher PLQY. More importantly, the synergistic effect of Zn²⁺ and I⁻ in CsPbI₃ QDs can prevent the iodine loss during the fabrication of CsPbI₃ QD film, inhibiting the formation of new V_I defect states in the construction of solar cells. Consequently, the anion/cation synergy strategy affords the CsPbI₃ quantum dot solar cells (QDSC) a power conversion efficiency over 16%, which is among the best efficiencies for perovskite QDSCs.     

Efficiency Enhanced Hybrid Solar Cells Using a Blend of Quantum Dots and Nanorods

The cell performance of organic‐inorganic hybrid photovoltaic devices based on CdSe nanocrystals and the semiconducting polymer poly[2,6‐(4,4‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)‐4H‐cyclopenta[2,1‐b;3,4‐b′]‐dithiophene)‐alt‐4,7‐(2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT) is strongly dependent on the applied polymer‐to‐nanocrystal loading ratio and the annealing temperature. It is shown here that higher temperatures for the thermal annealing step have a beneficial impact on the nanocrystal phase by forming extended agglomerates necessary for electron percolation to enhance the short‐circuit current. However, there is a concomitant reduction of the open‐circuit voltage, which arises from energy‐level alterations of the organic and the inorganic component. Based on quantum dots and PCPDTBT, we present an optimized organic–inorganic hybrid system utilizing an annealing temperature of 210 °C, which provides a maximum power conversion efficiency of 2.8%. Further improvement is obtained by blending nanocrystals of two different shapes to compose a favorable n‐type network. The blend of spherical quantum dots and elongated nanorods results in a well‐interconnected pathway for electrons within the p‐type polmer matrix, yielding maximum efficiencies of 3.6% under simulated AM 1.5 illumination.     

Fine Tuned Nanolayered Metal/Metal Oxide Electrode for Semitransparent Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Semitransparent photovoltaics have great potential, for example, in building‐integration or in portable electronics. However, the front and back contact electrodes significantly affect the light transmission and photovoltaic performance of the complete device. Herein, the use of a semitransparent nanolayered metal/metal oxide electrode for a semitransparent PbS colloidal quantum dot solar cell to increase the light transmission and power conversion efficiency is reported. The effect of the nanolayered electrode on the optical properties within the solar cells is studied and compared to a theoretically model to identify the origin of optical losses that lower the device transmission. The results show that the light transmission in the visible region and the photovoltaic performance are significantly enhanced with the nanolayered electrode. The solar cell shows an efficiency of 5.4% and average visible transmittance of 24.1%, which is an increase by 28.6% and 59.6%, respectively, compared to the device with a standard Au film as the electrode. These results demonstrate that the optical and electrical modification of transparent electrode is possible and essential for reducing the light reflection and absorption of the electrode in semitransparent photovoltaics, and, meanwhile the demonstrated nanolayered materials may provide an avenue for enhancing the device transparency and efficiency.     

Spray‐Coated Colloidal Perovskite Quantum Dot Films for Highly Efficient Solar Cells

A fully automated spray‐coated technology with ultrathin‐film purification is exploited for the commercial large‐scale solution‐based processing of colloidal inorganic perovskite CsPbI₃ quantum dot (QD) films toward solar cells. This process is in the air outside the glove box. To further improve the performance of QD solar cells, the short‐chain ligand of phenyltrimethylammonium bromide (PTABr) with a benzene group is introduced to partially substitute for the original long‐chain ligands of the colloidal QD surface (namely PTABr‐CsPbI₃). This process not only enhances the carrier charge mobility within the QD film due to shortening length between adjacent QDs, but also passivates the halide vacancy defects of QD by Br^? from PTABr. The colloidal QD solar cells show a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.2% with an open voltage of 1.11 V, a short current density of 14.4 mA cm^?2, and a fill factor of 0.70. Due to the hydrophobic surface chemistry of the PTABr–CsPbI₃ film, the solar cell can maintain 80% of the initial PCE in ambient conditions for one month without any encapsulation. Such a low‐cost and efficient spray‐coating technology also offers an avenue to the film fabrication of colloidal nanocrystals for electronic devices.     

Electro‐Optics of Colloidal Quantum Dot Solids for Thin‐Film Solar Cells

The electro‐optics of thin‐film stacks within photovoltaic devices plays a critical role for the exciton and charge generation and therefore the photovoltaic performance. The complex refractive indexes of each layer in heterojunction colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells are measured and the optical electric field is simulated using the transfer matrix formalism. The exciton generation rate and the photocurrent density as a function of the quantum dot solid thickness are calculated and the results from the simulations are found to agree well with the experimentally determined results. It can therefore be concluded that a quantum dot solid may be modeled with this approach, which is of general interest for this type of materials. Optimization of the CQD solar cell is performed by using the optical simulations and a maximum solar energy conversion efficiency of 6.5% is reached for a CQD solid thickness of 300 nm.     

Core/Shell Quantum Dots Solar Cells

Semiconductor nanocrystals, the so‐called quantum dots (QDs), exhibit versatile optical and electrical properties. However, QDs possess high density of surface defects/traps due to the high surface‐to‐volume ratio, which act as nonradiative carrier recombination centers within the QDs, thereby deteriorating the overall solar cell performance. The surface passivation of QDs through the growth of an outer shell of different materials/compositions called “core/shell QDs” has proven to be an effective approach to reduce the surface defects and confinement potential, which can enable the broadening of the absorption spectrum, accelerate the carrier transfer, and reduce exciton recombination loss. Here, the recent research developments in the tailoring of the structure of core/shell QDs to tune exciton dynamics so as to improve solar cell performance are summarized. The role of band alignment of core and shell materials, core size, shell thickness/compositions, and interface engineering of core/thick shell called “giant” QDs on electron–hole spatial separation, carrier transport, and confinement potential, before and after grafting on the carrier scavengers (semiconductor/electrolyte), is described. Then, the solar cell performance based on core/shell QDs is introduced. Finally, an outlook for the rational design of core/shell QDs is provided, which can further promote the development of high‐efficiency and stable QD sensitized solar cells.     

Efficient Infrared Solar Cells Employing Quantum Dot Solids with Strong Inter-Dot Coupling and Efficient Passivation

Lead chalcogenide quantum dot (QD) infrared (IR) solar cells are promising devices for breaking through the theoretical efficiency limit of single-junction solar cells by harvesting the low-energy IR photons that cannot be utilized by common devices. However, the device performance of QD IR photovoltaic is limited by the restrictive relation between open-circuit voltages (V_OC) and short circuit current densities (J_SC), caused by the contradiction between surface passivation and electronic coupling of QD solids. Here, a strategy is developed to decouple this restriction via epitaxially coating a thin PbS shell over the PbSe QDs (PbSe/PbS QDs) combined with in situ halide passivation. The strong electronic coupling from the PbSe core gives rise to significant carrier delocalization, which guarantees effective carrier transport. Benefited from the protection of PbS shell and in situ halide passivation, excellent trap-state control of QDs is eventually achieved after the ligand exchange. By a fine control of the PbS shell thickness, outstanding IR J_SC of 6.38 mA cm⁻² and IR V_OC of 0.347 V are simultaneously achieved under the 1100 nm-filtered solar illumination, providing a new route to unfreeze the trade-off between V_OC and J_SC limited by the photoactive layer with a given bandgap.     

Multiphoton Absorption Stimulated Metal Chalcogenide Quantum Dot Solar Cells under Ambient and Concentrated Irradiance

Colloidal metal chalcogenide quantum dots (QDs) have excellent quantum efficiency in light–matter interactions and good device stability. However, QDs have been brought to the forefront as viable building blocks in bottom‐up assembling semiconductor devices, the development of QD solar cell (QDSC) is still confronting considerable challenges compared to other QD technologies due to their low performance under natural sunlight, as a consequence of untapped potential from their quantized density‐of‐state and inorganic natures. This report is designed to address this long‐standing challenge by accessing the feasibility of using QDSC for indoor and concentration PV (CPV) applications. This work finds that above bandgap photon energy irradiation of QD solids can generate high densities of excitons via multi‐photon absorption (MPA), and these excitons are not limited to diffuse by Auger recombination up to 1.5 × 10¹⁹ cm^?3 densities. Based on these findings, a 19.5% (2000 lux indoor light) and an 11.6% efficiency (1.5 Suns) have been facilely realized from ordinary QDSCs (9.55% under 1 Sun). To further illustrate the potential of the MPA in QDSCs, 21.29% efficiency polymer lens CPVs (4.08 Suns) and viable sensor networks powered by indoor QDSCs matrix have been demonstrated.     

Quantum Junction Solar Cells: Development and Prospects

Nanocrystals, called semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), contain excitons that are three-dimensionally bound. QDs exhibit a discontinuous electronic energy level structure that is similar to that of atoms and exhibit a distinct quantum confinement effect. As a result, QDs have unique electrical, optical, and physical characteristics that can be used in a variety of optoelectronic device applications, including solar cells. In this review article, the stable and controllable synthesis of QD materials is outlined for upscaling solar cells, including material development and device performance enhancement. It includes a systematic variety of device structures for the fabrication of solar cells, such as QD, hybrid QD/organic, hybrid QD/inorganic, perovskite QD, and hybrid 2D MXene QD/perovskite. The mechanisms for the improvement of stability by QD treatment are examined. For example, the 2D MXene QD and/or Cu_1.8S nanocrystal doping significantly increases the long-term light and ambient stability of perovskite solar cells, resulting from improved perovskite crystallization, reduced hole transport layer (HTL) aggregation and crystallization of films, and reduced UV-induced photocatalytic activity of the electron transport layer (ETL). For the advancement of QD solar cells and their interaction with various materials, the conclusions from this review are crucial. Finally, future prospects for the development of QD solar cells as well as current challenges are discussed.     

Spatial Collection in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells

In thin‐film photovoltaic (PV) research and development, it is of interest to determine where the chief losses are occurring within the active layer. Herein, a method is developed and presented by which the spatial distribution of charge collection, operando, is ascertained, and its application in colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells is demonstrated at a wide range of relevant bias conditions. A systematic computational method that relies only on knowledge of measured optical parameters and bias‐dependent external quantum efficiency spectra is implemented. It is found that, in CQD PV devices, the region near the thiol‐treated hole‐transport layer suffers from low collection efficiency, as a result of bad band alignment at this interface. The active layer is not fully depleted at short‐circuit conditions, and this accounts for the limited short‐circuit current of these CQD solar cells. The high collection efficiency outside of the depleted region agrees with a diffusion length on the order of hundreds of nanometers. The method provides a quantitative tool to study the operating principles and the physical origins of losses in CQD solar cells, and can be deployed in thin‐film solar cell device architectures based on perovskites, organics, CQDs, and combinations of these materials.     

半导体量子点敏化太阳电池的最新进展

半导体量子点太阳电池目前是一个十分热门的研究领域,在未来新能源利用领域具有潜在的应用价值。首先,介绍了几种量子点敏化电极的制备技术。然后,着重评述了CdS,CdSe和PdS量子点敏化太阳电池近年的研究进展。通过对大量最新的相关文献进行总结发现,电池的性能主要受量子点的组装技术、能带结构以及基体材料等因素的影响。最后,分析了该领域中目前存在的问题,并提出了今后研究的对策,包括采用两种量子点共敏化方法以提高光俘获效率,采用沉积钝化层的方法以降低载流子复合。     

InAs/GaAs量子点中间带太阳电池的理论研究与优化

从荧光粉散射机理分析了LED器件色角向分布不均匀的形成原因,提出了一种利用逐点步进光学设计方法,实现了不同入射角度内蓝光光程相等的远荧光粉层结构。应用该方法设计了使用不同折射率载体的LED远荧光粉层光学结构。模拟结果显示,应用所设计的光学形状的远荧光粉层结构,相比传统平面荧光粉层结构,75°方向光斑边缘与中心法线方向色差du′v′从0.05降低到0.01左右,色温偏移降低了43%~98%不等,有效改善了白光LED远程荧光粉封装结构的色度均匀性。该设计不需要增加或改变封装工艺手段,工业生产实现简单,额外成本很少,具有较强的实际应用价值。 更多还原     

InAs/GaAs量子点中间带太阳电池的理论研究与优化

基于InAs/GaAs量子点中间带太阳电池(QD-IBSC)结构和载流子漂移扩散理论建立了计算电流密度与静电势的数学模型,从理论上分析了量子点中间带太阳电池的电压电流特性,定量讨论了量子点层厚度、温度以及n型掺杂对电压电流特性的影响.模拟结果表明:在i层厚度取400 nm时转化效率达到最大值14.01％;温度会对量子点中间带太阳电池的电压电流特性产生影响,温度在300～350 K范围内,开路电压Voc随温度的升高而明显减小,短路电流Jsc几乎不变;对i区进行n型掺杂会抑制量子点层发挥作用.     

Visualization of Current and Mapping of Elements in Quantum Dot Solar Cells

The delicate influence of properties such as high surface state density and organic–inorganic boundaries on the individual quantum dot electronic structure complicates pursuits toward forming quantitative models of quantum dot thin films ab initio. This report describes the application of electron beam‐induced current (EBIC) microscopy to depleted‐heterojunction colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics (DH‐CQD PVs), a technique which affords one a “map” of current production within the active layer of a PV device. The effects of QD sample size polydispersity as well as layer thickness in CQD active layers as they pertain to current production within these PVs are imaged and explained. The results from these experiments compare well with previous estimations, and confirm the ability of EBIC to function as a valuable empirical tool for the design and betterment of DH‐CQD PVs. Lastly, extensive and unexpected PbS QD penetration into the mesoporous TiO₂ layer is observed through imaging of device cross sections by energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy combined with scanning transmission electron microscopy. The possible effects of this finding are discussed and corroborated with the EBIC studies on similar devices.     

GaAs量子阱太阳能电池转换效率的计算

采用细致平衡模型计算了GaAs量子阱太阳能电池的转换效率,同时对量子阱结构带来的几种效应,如准费米能级分离、热载流子效应等进行了分析,并将碰撞离化效应引入此细致平衡模型中,通过计算研究了其对量子阱太阳能电池转换效率的影响.结果表明碰撞离化效应可以提高电池的转换效率,但提高幅度有限.     

GaAs量子阱太阳能电池转换效率的计算

采用细致平衡模型计算了GaAs量子阱太阳能电池的转换效率,同时对量子阱结构带来的几种效应,如准费米能级分离、热载流子效应等进行了分析,并将碰撞离化效应引入此细致平衡模型中,通过计算研究了其对量子阱太阳能电池转换效率的影响.结果表明碰撞离化效应可以提高电池的转换效率,但提高幅度有限.