Semiconductor/liquid junction solar cells

Miller B, Heller A (1976) Semiconductor liquid junction solar cells based on anodic sulphide films. Nature 262 680-681... 

In any case, it is perceived from the above discussion that the problem of longterm chemical stability of polycrystalline semiconductor liquid junction solar cells is far from being solved. Still, as already pointed out in the early research, any practical photovoltaic and PEC device would have to be based on polycrystalline photoelectrodes. Novel approaches mostly involving specially designed PEC systems with alternative solid or gel electrolytes and, most importantly, hybrid/sensitized electrodes with properties dictated by nanophase structuring - to be discussed at the end of this chapter - promise new advances in the field. 

Heller A, Chang KC, Miller B (1977) Spectral response and efficiency relations in semiconductor liquid junction solar cells. J Electrochem Soc 124 697-700 Elhs AB, Kaiser SW, Wrighton MS (1976) Optical to electrical energy conversion. Characterization of cadmium sulfide and cadmium selenide based photoelectrochemical cells. J Am Chem Soc 98 6855-6866... 

Parkinson, B.A., Heller, A., and Miller, B., Effects of cations on the performance of the photoanode in the n-gallium arsenide/potassium selenide (K2Se)-potassium diselenide (K2Se2)-potassium hydroxide/carbon semiconductor liquid junction solar cell, /. Electrochem. Soc., 126,954,1979. 

Bhattacharya, R. N. Pramanik, P. 1982. Semiconductor liquid junction solar cell based on chemically deposited Bi2S3 thin film and some semiconducting properties of bismuth chalcogenides. J. Electrochem. Soc. 129 332-335. 

Ions that are not chemisorbed do not affect the performance of semiconductor liquid junction solar cells.32 Weakly chemisorbed ions produce inadequate splitting of surface states between the edges of the conduction and valence band and increase rather than decrease the density of the surface states in the band gap and thus the recombination velocity. Bi3+ is an example of such an ion. As seen in Figure 5, it decreases the efficiency of the n—GaAs 0.8M K2Se-0.1M K2Se2-lM KOH c cell.30 Since the chemisorption of Bi3+ is weak, the deterioration in performance is temporary. The ion is desorbed in 10 min. and the cell recovers. 

Inoue, T., Watanabe, T., Fujishima, A., and Honda, K., Competitive Oxidation at Semiconductor Photoanodes, in Semiconductor Liquid--Junction Solar Cells, Heller, A., Ed., The Electrochemical Society, Princeton, N3, 1977, 210. 

Heller, A., ed. "Semiconductor Liquid Junction Solar Cells" The Electrochemical Society, Inc. Princeton, N.J., 1977. 

C. M. Gronet, N. S. Lewis, G. Cogan, and J. Gibbons, n-type silicon photoelectrochemistry in methanol Design of a 10.1% efficient semiconductor/liquid junction solar cell, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 1152, 1983. 

We are investigating the effects of binding non-electroactive molecules to electrode surfaces. The attached layer will be sufficiently thin (ca. 1 monolayer) that electron transfer across the electrode/electrolyte interface will not be inhibited. However, other surface properties may be advantageously modified. For semiconductor electrodes, desirable changes include suppression of the photo-activated surface corrosion and shifts in the flatband potential. We are seeking to improve the performance of semiconductor liquid-junction solar cells by these means. 

Gibbons J. F., Cogan G. W., Gronet C. M. and Lewis N. S. (1984), A 14% efficient nonaqueous semiconductor liquid junction solar cell , Appl. Phys. Lett. 45, 1095-1097. 

A. Heller, ed., Semiconductor Liquid-Junction Solar Cells. Electrochem Soc Proc 77-3 (1977). 

R. H. Wilson, A model for the current-voltage curve of photoexcited semiconductor electrodes, in Semiconductor Liquid-Junction Solar Cells, Ed. by A. Heller, The Electrochemical Society, Princeton, New Jersey, 1977. 

A. Heller (Ed.), "Semiconductor Liquid-Junction Solar Cells", Proceedings 77-3, The Electrochemical Society Princeton 1977. 

A. Heller, B. Miller, S. S. Chu, and Y. T. Lee, 7.3% efficient thin-film, polycrystalline n-GaAs semiconductor liquid junction solar cell, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 101 (1979) 7633-7634. 

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