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Fabrication of low-cost and efficient PEDOT:PSS-silicon hybrid heterojunction solar cell via tailoring the organic layer thickness

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Abstract

Organic conjugate semiconductor, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene): poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and silicon (Si) based hybrid heterojunction solar cells (HSCs) have shown tremendous potential as an alternative low-cost approach to the traditional crystalline Si (c-Si) solar cell technology. In the HSCs, opto-electronic properties of the organic layer play critical part in the junction formation and hence the performance of device. Therefore, the present study aims at tailoring the PEDOT:PSS thickness via spin speed variation of the organic solution and investigate its effect on morphological (PEDOT:PSS/Si interface), optical, surface passivation property and the device (HSCs) performance parameters. The results are further supported by comprehensive analysis of FESEM, UV–Vis–NIR, minority carrier lifetime, dark and illuminated J-V characteristics, quantum efficiency and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results of the solar cells utilizing the low-cost solar grade and thin Si wafers. The PEDOT:PSS layer exhibits anti-reflective and surface passivation properties in addition to forming efficient junction with n-Si. It has been found that the thickness of 140 ± 24 nm is the optimum for efficient HSCs on polished Si surfaces, with maximum efficiency of 8.89% contributed by the best optical, passivation and PEDOT:PSS/Si junction properties for effective generation of the charge carriers, separation and hence their transportation to the respective electrodes in the most fundamental device structure of ‘Ag/PEDOT:PSS/n-Si/In:Ga’. The present work may guide to the development of PEDOT:PSS/n-Si based optoelectronic devices via simple low thermal budget solution process.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to Director, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, India for the in-house research support (Grant code: OLP230432). It was also partially supported by Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India, Nano Mission (Sanction No. DST/NM/NT2023/03(G)/2) (project code: GAP230632). Urvashi Punia acknowledges University Grants Commission (UGC), Govt. of India for fellowship grant (NTA Ref. No: 191620050801). P.K and R.K.S also acknowledge the research fellowships from National Renewable Energy Fellowship, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (NREF-MNRE), Govt. of India (grant code: 342 − 12/5/2019-HRD) and UGC (grant code: 16 − 6 (DEC. 2018)/2019 (NET/CSIR)) respectively.

Funding

The work was supported by in-house research grant (grant code: OLP230432) of CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi. It was also partially supported by Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India, Nano Mission (Sanction No. DST/NM/NT2023/03(G)/2) (project code: GAP230632).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Photovoltaic Metrology Section, Advanced Materials and Device Metrology Division, CSIR- National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Urvashi Punia, Premshila Kumari, Ruchi K. Sharma, Subha Laxmi, Ritu Srivastava & Sanjay K. Srivastava

  2. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India

    Urvashi Punia, Premshila Kumari, Ruchi K. Sharma, Subha Laxmi & Sanjay K. Srivastava

  3. Photonic Metrology Section, Advanced Materials and Device Metrology Division, CSIR- National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Ritu Srivastava

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  1. Urvashi Punia
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Contributions

UP and SKS: conceptualized and designed the study. Material and solar cell preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by UP, PK and RKS. Funding, resources arrangement and supervision was done by SKS. The first draft of the manuscript was written by UP and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sanjay K. Srivastava.

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Punia, U., Kumari, P., Sharma, R.K. et al. Fabrication of low-cost and efficient PEDOT:PSS-silicon hybrid heterojunction solar cell via tailoring the organic layer thickness. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 35, 42 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-023-11812-w

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