Characterization and modeling of a ZnO nanowire ultraviolet photodetector with graphene transparent contact

We report the demonstration of a ZnO nanowire ultraviolet photodetector with a top transparent electrode made of a few-layered graphene sheet. The nanowires have been synthesized using a low-cost electrodeposition method. The detector is shown to be visible-blind and to present a responsivity larger than 10(4) A/W in the near ultraviolet range thanks to a high photoconductive gain in ZnO nanowires. The device exhibits a peak responsivity at 370 nm wavelength and shows a sub bandgap response down to 415 nm explained by an Urbach tail with a characteristic energy of 83 meV. The temporal response of the detector and the power dependence are discussed. A model of the photoconductive mechanism is proposed showing that the main process responsible for the photoconductive gain is the modulation of the conducting surface due to the variation of the surface depletion layer and not the reduction of recombination efficiency stemming from the electron-hole spatial separation. The gain is predicted to decrease at high incident power due to the flattening of the lateral band bending in agreement with experimental data. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC

Charge Transport and Recombination in TiO2 Brookite-Based Photoelectrodes

International audienceThe photoactivity of the stable nanosized TiO2 polymorphs is challenging for many advanced applications. In the present work, brookite TiO2 nanoparticles with two different shapes have been used as building blocks for the preparation of pure brookite mesoporous layers. The layers have been characterized before and after sensitization. They have been used as photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The cell functioning coupled processes have been investigated by the impedance spectroscopy (IS) technique at various applied voltages and compared to a reference anatase TiO2 solar cell. The investigations of the chemical capacitance and of the charge transfer resistance, R-ct, show that, compared to anatase, the brookite surface is less active for the recombination side reaction. The larger R-ct is shown to explain the higher open circuit voltage of the brookite cells. However, the charge transport is much slower in the brookite phase due to a lower electrical conductivity. This parameter has been quantified more than 1 order of magnitude lower in the brookite layers compared to the anatase one. On the whole, the efficiency of brookite DSSCs is mainly limited by two parameters, the dye loading and the charge collection efficiency

Oxide hole blocking selective contacts in perovskite solar cells

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Eu-doped ZnO nanowire arrays grown by electrodeposition

The preparation of efficient light emitting diodes requires active optical layers working at low voltage for light emission. Trivalent lanthanide doped wide-bandgap semiconducting oxide nanostructures are promising active materials in opto-electronic devices. In this work we report on the electrochemical deposition (ECD) of Eu-doped ZnO (ZnO:Eu) nanowire arrays on glass substrates coated with F-doped polycrystalline SnO2. The structural, chemical and optical properties of ZnO:Eu nanowires have been systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and photoluminescence. XRD results suggest the substitution of Zn2+ by Eu ions in the crystalline lattice. High-resolution TEM and associated electron diffraction studies indicate an interplanar spacing of 0.52 nm which corresponds to the (0 0 0 1) crystal plane of the hexagonal ZnO, and a growth along the c-direction. The ZnO:Eu nanowires have a single crystal structure, without noticeable defects. According to EDX, SIMS and XPS studies, cationic Eu species are detected in these samples showing the incorporation of Eu into the ZnO matrix. The oxidation states of europium ions in the nanowires are determined as +3 (74%) and +2 (26%). Photoluminescence studies demonstrated red emission from the Eu-doped ZnO nanowire arrays. When Eu was incorporated during the nanowire growth, the sharp 5D0–7F2 transition of the Eu3+ ion at around 612 nm was observed. These results suggest that Eu doped ZnO nanowires could pave the way for efficient, multispectral LEDs and optical devices