Copper delafossite transparent p-type semiconductor materials for dye sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Methods for fabrication of copper delafossite materials include a low temperature sol-gel process for synthesizing CuBO2 powders, and a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process for forming thin films of CuBO2, using targets made of the CuBO2 powders. The CuBO2 thin films are optically transparent p-type semiconductor oxide thin films. Devices with CuBO2 thin films include p-type transparent thin film transistors (TTFT) comprising thin film CuBO2, as a channel layer and thin film solar cells with CuBO2 p-layers. Solid state dye sensitized solar cells (SS-DSSC) comprising CuBO2 in various forms, including “core-shell” and “nano-couple” particles, and methods of manufacture, are also described.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 203,336 filed Dec. 19, 2008, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to transparent p-type semiconductor materials, more specifically methods of manufacture of copper delafossite transparent p-type semiconductor material and devices comprising said copper delafossite material, including solar cells and transparent thin film transistors.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), such as doped zinc oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO) and indium molybdenum oxide are widely used as conductive optically transparent electrodes. These oxides exhibit both high electrical conductivity and optical transparency, in the visible spectrum. However, all of these oxides are characterized as n-type materials and their use is accordingly limited. In order to expand the use of TCOs to applic...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The use of CuBO2 materials enables the creation of stable, high-efficiency solar cells and transistors with improved optical transmission and electrical conductivity, addressing the limitations of existing technologies by providing a compatible p-type semiconductor solution for solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells and other devices.

Problems solved by technology

However, all of these oxides are characterized as n-type materials and their use is accordingly limited.

However, a major problem with these DSSCs is the evaporation and possible leakage of the liquid electrolyte from the cell.

This limits the stability of these cells and also poses a serious problem in the scaling up of DSSC technology for practical applications.

However, most of the SS-DSSCs suffer from the problems of short-circuit and mass transport limitations of the ions, and so have low conversion efficiencies compared with the liquid version.

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