High efficiency graphene solar cells by chemical doping

Nano Lett. 2012 Jun 13;12(6):2745-50. doi: 10.1021/nl204414u. Epub 2012 May 10.

Abstract

We demonstrate single layer graphene/n-Si Schottky junction solar cells that under AM1.5 illumination exhibit a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.6%. This performance, achieved by doping the graphene with bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide, exceeds the native (undoped) device performance by a factor of 4.5 and is the highest PCE reported for graphene-based solar cells to date. Current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and external quantum efficiency measurements show the enhancement to be due to the doping-induced shift in the graphene chemical potential that increases the graphene carrier density (decreasing the cell series resistance) and increases the cell's built-in potential (increasing the open circuit voltage) both of which improve the solar cell fill factor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Energy Transfer
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Graphite / chemistry*
  • Semiconductors*
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Solar Energy*

Substances

  • Graphite
  • Silicon