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ZnS/Al2S3 Layer as a Blocking Layer in Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells

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Abstract

In this research, the effect of treatment of the CdS/CdSe sensitized ZnO photoanode by ZnS, Al2S3, and ZnS/Al2S3 nanoparticles as a barrier layer on the performance of quantum dot sensitized solar cell is investigated. Current density–voltage (J–V) characteristics show that cell efficiency is enhanced from 3.62% to 4.82% with treatment of a CdS/CdSe/ZnS sensitized ZnO photoanode by Al2S3 nanoparticles. In addition, short- circuit current density (J sc) is increased from 11.5 mA/cm2 to 14.8 mA/cm2. The results extracted from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicate that charge transfer resistance (R ct) in photoanode/electrolyte interfaces decreases with deposition of Al2S3 nanoparticles on CdS/CdSe/ZnS sensitized ZnO photoanodes, while the chemical capacitance of photoanode (C μ ) and electron lifetime (t n) increase. Also, results revealed that cell performance is considerably decreased with the treatment of the AL2S3 blocking layer incorporated between ZnO nanorods and CdS/CdSe QDs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), P.O. Box 14115-194, Tehran, Iran

    Borzoo Vafapoor & Davood Fathi

  2. Department of Nanotechnology Engineering, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran

    Mehdi Eskandari

Authors
  1. Borzoo Vafapoor
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  2. Davood Fathi
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  3. Mehdi Eskandari
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Correspondence to Davood Fathi.

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Vafapoor, B., Fathi, D. & Eskandari, M. ZnS/Al2S3 Layer as a Blocking Layer in Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. J. Electron. Mater. 47, 1932–1936 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-017-5993-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-017-5993-8

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