University of Groningen
Device physics of colloidal quantum dot solar cells Speirs, Mark Jonathan
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Speirs, M. J. (2017). Device physics of colloidal quantum dot solar cells. University of Groningen.
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Device physics of
colloidal quantum dot solar cells
ii
Device physics of colloidal quantum dot solar cells Mark Jonathan Speirs
PhD thesis
University of Groningen
Zernike Institute PhD thesis series 2017-09 ISSN: 1570-1530
ISBN: 978-90-367-9611-8 (printed version) ISBN: 978-90-367-9610-1 (electronic version)
The research presented in this thesis was performed in the research group Photophysics & OptoElectronics of the Zernike Institute for Advanced Ma-terials at the University of Groningen. The work was funded by the ERC starting grant "Hybrids Solution Processable Optoelectronic Devices" (Hy-SPOD) (ERC-306983) and with support from the Ubbo Emmius Fund, Den Haag/Rotterdam chapter.
Device physics of
colloidal quantum dot solar cells
Proefschrift
ter verkrijging van het graad van doctor aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
op gezag van de
rector magnificus prof. dr. E. Sterken, en volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties.
De openbare verdediging zal plaatsvingen op vrijdag 24 maart 2017 om 16.15 uur
door
Mark Jonathan Speirs geboren op 1 maart 1988
Promotor Prof. dr. M. A. Loi Beoordelingscommissie Prof. dr. E. H. Sargent Prof. dr. A. Polman Prof. dr. J. C. Hummelen
Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Solar energy . . . 2
1.2 Solution-processable photovoltaics . . . 3
1.3 Lead sulfide quantum dots . . . 5
1.4 A short history of colloidal QD solar cells . . . 8
1.5 Solar cell characterization . . . 10
1.6 Solar cell operation . . . 15
1.6.1 Schottky solar cells . . . 17
1.6.2 Heterojunction solar cells . . . 20
1.6.3 Pn-junction solar cells . . . 21
1.6.4 Tandem solar cells . . . 21
1.7 Thesis outline . . . 23
2 Hybrid inorganic-organic tandem solar cells 29 2.1 Introduction . . . 30
2.2 Results and discussion . . . 31
2.2.1 Tandem solar cells . . . 31
2.2.2 Transfer matrix formalism . . . 33
2.2.3 Thickness optimisation . . . 37
2.2.4 Optical modeling . . . 40
2.3 Conclusion . . . 42
3 PbS-CdS core-shell quantum dot solar cells 45 3.1 Introduction . . . 46
3.2 Results and discussion . . . 47
3.2.1 Quantum dot characterisation . . . 47
3.2.2 Core-shell quantum dot solar cells . . . 50 v
vi CONTENTS
3.2.3 Origin of the increased open circuit voltage . . . 52
3.3 Conclusion . . . 58
3.4 Experimental Details . . . 59
4 Temperature dependent behaviour of lead sulfide quantum dot solar cells and films 65 4.1 Introduction . . . 66
4.2 Results and discussion . . . 67
4.2.1 Temperature dependent J-V characteristics . . . 67
4.2.2 Permittivity and mobility . . . 73
4.2.3 Charge Carriers lifetimes and diffusion lengths . . . 78
4.2.4 Doping concentration . . . 80
4.3 Conclusion . . . 82
4.4 Experimental methods . . . 83
5 P-type doping of thiol-capped PbS films 89 5.1 Introduction . . . 90
5.1.1 Doped p-n junction solar cells . . . 92
5.1.2 Schottky diode analysis . . . 94
5.2 Experimental Details . . . 100
Summary 105
Samenvatting 109
List of Publications 113
