Carbon nanotube electrodes for solar cell

• Main Author: Loh, Norman Chen Lung.
• Other Authors: Li Lain-Jong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Biomaterials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/15322
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This project had been carried out with the attempt of understanding the carbon nanotube thin film fabrication from surfactant assisted carbon nanotube solution. The advantages of using this form of assisted solution is that there is no need to functionalize the CNT, and that would enable the retention of the pristine properties of CNT. The results obtained for the study of post treatment has been very encouraging, suggesting the possibility of an electrode being produced that is able to match, or even overtake the current standards set by Indium Tin Oxide. ITO’s Sheet Resistance recorded is 15Ω/, a solar conversion of 3% efficiency. Under the property of transparency, it recorded a 90% in the 550nm region. For the CNT coated electrode, it recorded a sheet resistance value of 103Ω/, with a transparency of 68%. However for the measurement of solar conversion efficiency, there were limitations that hindered an accurate measurement being obtained. There was the occurrence of shorting in all 20 devices. The reason behind this is the morphology of the CNT film. As the devices were fabricated and tested with the same conditions that ITO undergo, the rougher morphology that CNT has as compared to ITO caused both the electrodes in the devices to meet at certain high points, despite the active layer in the middle, and that resulted in the shorting. In order to obtain better devices, more optimization of the device properties has to done, such as fabricating a film with controlled morphology.