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Charge Dynamics in Solution-Processed Nanocrystalline CuInS2 Solar Cells.


Type

Article

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Authors

Halpert, Jonathan E 
Morgenstern, Frederik SF 
Ehrler, Bruno 
Vaynzof, Yana 
Credgington, Daniel  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4246-2118

Abstract

We investigate charge dynamics in solar cells constructed using solution-processed layers of CuInS2 (CIS) nanocrystals (NCs) as the electron donor and CdS as the electron acceptor. By using time-resolved spectroscopic techniques, we are able to observe photoinduced absorptions that we attribute to the mobile hole carriers in the NC film. In combination with transient photocurrent and photovoltage measurements, we monitor charge dynamics on time scales from 300 fs to 1 ms. Carrier dynamics are investigated for devices with CIS layers composed of either colloidally synthesized 1,3-benzenedithiol-capped nanocrystals or in situ sol-gel synthesized thin films as the active layer. We find that deep trapping of holes in the colloidal NC cells is responsible for decreases in the open-circuit voltage and fill factor as compared to those of the sol-gel synthesized CIS/CdS cell.

Description

Keywords

CIS, charge transfer, cupric chalcogenides, nanocrystals, photovoltaics, quantum dot, transient absorption, trapping

Journal Title

ACS Nano

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1936-0851
1936-086X

Volume Title

9

Publisher

American Chemical Society (ACS)
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/G060738/1)
We gratefully acknowledge support by EPSRC (Grant No. EP/G060738/1), Cambridge Display Technology and the Worshipful Company of Armourers & Brasiers for a Gauntlet Trust award, as well as the MacDiarmid Institute for use of their EM facilities.