Flame-made niobium doped zinc oxide nanoparticles in bulk heterojunction solar cells

• Main Authors: Viruntachar Kruefu, Eric Peterson, Chanitpa Khantha, Chawarat Siriwong, Sukon Phanichphant, David L. Carroll
• Format: Journal
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Physics and Astronomy
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=77955720793&origin=inward; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/51170
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

We report fabrication and measurement of bulk heterojunction solar cells utilizing a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), phenyl- C61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) composite loaded with different concentrations of niobium doped zinc oxide (Nb/ZnO) nanoparticles produced by flame spray pyrolysis. Nanoparticles with different niobium concentrations were compared, along with devices without Nb/ZnO nanoparticles and with undoped ZnO nanoparticles. It was found that niobium doping leads to a slight increase in open circuit voltage and an increase in short circuit current that scales with niobium concentration. Additional comparison was made between the nanoparticles with 3% niobium by weight to unloaded devices. These also showed a similar open circuit voltage increase and an increase in current that scales with Nb/ZnO nanoparticle concentration to 30% by volume and drops off at 33% Nb/ZnO by volume. Possible mechanisms for these improvements are discussed. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.