Functional Solar Cells

PSCs. With the denser P(VDF-TrFE) nanoislands obtained by this method, a larger eleetric field, around 20 3 V in PCDTBTrPCyjBM film, can be induced by the P(VDF-TrFE) NPs, which is 50-100% higher than the electric filed generated by the 1-2 monolayer LB P(VDF-TrFE). However, Asadi et al. argued that ferroelectric functionalized PSC, with a trul/ ferroelectric interlayer, will be subjected to ferroelectric depolarization. They demonstrated that inserting a layer of a ferroelectric polymer in the solar eell stack only leads to improved PCE for non-optimized solar eells with non-Ohmic eontaets. In fact, in the best-case scenario, the performanee of the ferro-eleetrie-material functionalized solar cell approaches that of optimized cells with standard LiF/Al cathodes. 

One of the most commonly used back-contact membranes is TPT [97]. T represents polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (PVF membrane, most commonly used Tedlar ). It has the following functions solar cell sealing, anti-aging, UV resisting and water proofing. P represents polyester film PET that obstructs the water moisture, which is electrically insulated. TPT consists of three thin membranes. The two external membranes are all T membranes, while the internal is P membrane. 

Because of the high functional values that polyimides can provide, a small-scale custom synthesis by users or toU producers is often economically viable despite high cost, especially for aerospace and microelectronic appHcations. For the majority of iudustrial appHcations, the yellow color generally associated with polyimides is quite acceptable. However, transparency or low absorbance is an essential requirement iu some appHcations such as multilayer thermal iusulation blankets for satellites and protective coatings for solar cells and other space components (93). For iutedayer dielectric appHcations iu semiconductor devices, polyimides having low and controlled thermal expansion coefficients are required to match those of substrate materials such as metals, ceramics, and semiconductors usediu those devices (94). 

The chemical and electronic properties of elements at the interfaces between very thin films and bulk substrates are important in several technological areas, particularly microelectronics, sensors, catalysis, metal protection, and solar cells. To study conditions at an interface, depth profiling by ion bombardment is inadvisable, because both composition and chemical state can be altered by interaction with energetic positive ions. The normal procedure is, therefore, to start with a clean or other well-characterized substrate and deposit the thin film on to it slowly at a chosen temperature while XPS is used to monitor the composition and chemical state by recording selected characteristic spectra. The procedure continues until no further spectral changes occur, as a function of film thickness, of time elapsed since deposition, or of changes in substrate temperature. 

Preliminary measurements with space-resolved PMC techniques have shown that PMC images can be obtained from nanostructured dye sensitization cells. They showed a chaotic distribution of PMC intensities that indicate that local inhomogeneities in the preparation of the nanostructured layer affect photoinduced electron injection. A comparison of photocurrent maps taken at different electrode potentials with corresponding PMC maps promises new insight into the function of this unconventional solar cell type. 

FIG. 61. Solar cell performance parameters as functions of power density for cells made at 65 MHz (a) yjc, efficiency, Vqc- and fill factor (FF) (b) spectral response. 

FIG. 62. Normalized solar cell efficiency as a function of illumination time for different power densities as obtained by continuous illumination of 1000-W/m" AM 1.5 light. The initial efficiencies of the four cells were 9%, 109f. 9c. and 69c for 28-. 42-. 57-. and 113-mW/cm power density, respectively. 

Madan et al. [515] have presented the effect of modulation on the properties of the material (dark conductivity and photoconductivity) and of solar cells. They also observe an increase in deposition rate as a function of modulation frequency (up to 100 kHz) at an excitation frequency of 13.56 MHz, in their PECVD system [159]. The optimum modulation frequency was 68 kHz, which they attribute to constraints in the matching networks. Increasing the deposition rate in cw operation of the plasma by increasing the RF power leads to worse material. Modulation with a frequency larger than 60 kHz results in improved material quality, for material deposited with equal deposition rates. This is also seen in the solar cell properties. The intrinsic a-Si H produced by RF modulation was included in standard p-i-n solar cells, without buffer or graded interface layers. For comparison, solar cells employing layers that were deposited under cw conditions were also made. At a low deposition rate of about 0.2 nm/s, the cw solar cell parameters... 

Cancer occurs when the growth and function of cells are out of control in relation to normal tissue. The combination of genetic alterations and environmental toxins is the most frequent contributor to the process of carcinogenesis. In the development of skin cancer, the risk factors are categorized as environmental (solar UV radiation), genetic (family history), immunosuppression, and previous history of melanoma.10... 

Apart from recapture of the injected electrons by the oxidized dye, there are additional loss channels in dye-sensitized solar cells, which involve reduction of triiodide ions in the electrolyte, resulting in dark currents. The Ti02 layer is an interconnected network of nanoparticles with a porous structure. The functionalized dyes penetrate through the porous network and adsorb over Ti02 the surface. However, if the pore size is too small for the dye to penetrate, that part of the surface may still be exposed to the redox mediator whose size is smaller than the dye. Under these circumstances, the redox mediator can collect the injected electron from the Ti02 conduction band, resulting in a dark current (Equation (6)), which can be measured from intensity-modulated experiments and the dark current of the photovoltaic cell. Such dark currents reduce the maximum cell voltage obtainable, and thereby the total efficiency. 

Silane decomposes to its elements at above 400°C. Process (1) is known as direct thermal decomposition, and produces either amorphous or polycrystalline Si (function of reaction temperature and other processing parameters), and is commonly used, for instance, in the solar cell industry to reduce silane to silicon. 

Assuming that an efficient D-A type of molecule can be synthesized, it should be possible to deposit these molecules as a monolayer onto a glass slide coated with a metal such as aluminum or a wide bandgap semiconductor such as Sn(>2. With the acceptor end of the molecule near the conductor and with contact to the other side via an electrolyte solution it should be possible to stimulate electron transfer from D to A and then into the conductor, through an external circuit and finally back to D through the electrolyte. This would form the basis of a new type of solar cell in which the layer of D-A molecules would perform the same function as the p-n junction in a silicon solar cell (50). Only the future will tell whether or not this concept will be feasible but if nature can do it, why can t we ... 

The number of publications concerning utilization of the EISA process for fabrication of different structured materials is counted in the hundreds, which is far beyond the possibilities of this chapter to review in depth. Rather, we intend to provide a brief introduction into EISA and its application to the fabrication of functional thin films for electronic applications (e.g., electro-chromic layers and solar cells), with a special focus on fabrication of crystalline mesoporous films of metal oxides. Attention will also be given to techniques used to evaluate the pore structure of the thin films. For the other aspects of the EISA process, for example its mechanism,4 strategies for preparation of crystalline porous metal oxides,5 mesoporous nanohybrid materials,6 periodic organic silica materials,7,8 or postgrafting functionalization of mesoporous framework,9 we kindly recommend the reader to refer to the referenced comprehensive reviews. 

The scale of electrochemical work functions makes it possible to calculate the outer potential difference between a solution and any electrode provided the respective reaction is in equilibrium. A knowledge of this difference is often important in the design of electrochemical systems, for example, for electrochemical solar cells. However, in most situations one needs only relative energies and potentials, and the conventional hydrogen scale suffices. 

Narayanan, R., M. Deepa, and A.K. Srivastava, Nanoscale connectivity in a Ti02/CdSe quantum dots/functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets/Au nanoparticles composite for enhanced photoelectrochemical solar cell performance. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2012.14(2) p. 767-778. 

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