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The effect of modified layers on the performance of inverted ZnO nanorods/MEH-PPV solar cells

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Abstract

We fabricate inverted organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells based on vertically oriented ZnO nanorods and polymer MEH-PPV. The morphology of ZnO nanorods and ZnO nanorods/MEH-PPV hybrid structure is depicted by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. It is observed that ZnO nanorods array grows primarily aligned along the perpendicular direction of the ITO substrate. The MEH-PPV molecule does not enter the interspace between ZnO nanorods completely according to SEM picture. It results in the small and bad contact area between ZnO nanorods and MEH-PPV. To improve the photovoltaic performance, we also fabricate another kind of photovoltaic (PV) device modified by N719 dye, and exploit the effect of N719. After the modification of ZnO nanorods by N719, not only J sc increases from 0.257 mA/cm2 to 0.42 mA/cm2, but also V oc enhances from 0.37 V to 0.42 V. Insert LiF buffer layer between MEH-PPV and anode, J sc of 1.05 mA/cm2 is obtained, and it is 2.5 times that the device without LiF.

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Correspondence to SuLing Zhao.

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Yan, Y., Zhao, S., Xu, Z. et al. The effect of modified layers on the performance of inverted ZnO nanorods/MEH-PPV solar cells. Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 54, 453–458 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-010-4230-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-010-4230-8

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