Light-trapping in polymer solar cells by processing with - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Light-trapping in polymer solar cells by processing with - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Light-trapping in polymer solar cells by processing with nanostructured Diatomaceous Earth Lyndsey McMillon-Brown Yale University | Transformative Materials and Devices Lab NASA GRC | Photovoltaic & Electrochemical Systems Branch

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SLIDE 1

Light-trapping in polymer solar cells by processing with nanostructured Diatomaceous Earth

Lyndsey McMillon-Brown

Yale University | Transformative Materials and Devices Lab NASA GRC | Photovoltaic & Electrochemical Systems Branch

Biomimicry Summit and Education Forum Ohio Aerospace Institute August 4, 2016

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SLIDE 2

Outline

  • Introduction

– Alternative Energy – Solar Cells

  • Losses in Solar Cells
  • Solutions to Cell Losses

– Biomimetic Approach – Experimental Results – Simulation Results

  • Future Directions

– Design Rules

  • Conclusions
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SLIDE 3

Alternative Energy

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SLIDE 4

Why solar?

  • Sunlight is the most abundant source of renewable energy
  • Solar field the area of Spain can fulfill global energy needs
  • During operation

– No pollution – No emission – No noise

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SLIDE 5

The Solar Cell

  • Converts sunlight

directly to electricity

  • Photon absorbed by

semiconductor

  • The electron is excited

to the conduction band

  • Creation of electron-

hole pair

photon Anode Semiconductor Cathode Eg

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SLIDE 6

The Solar Cell

  • Converts sunlight directly to

electricity

  • Photon absorbed by

semiconductor

  • The electron is excited to the

conduction band

  • Creation of electron-hole pair
  • Collection of electrons in cathode
  • Collection of holes in anode

photon Anode Semiconductor Cathode

electrode

Active Layer

electrode

  • +

+ + +

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SLIDE 7

Classes & Applications of Solar

  • Space Exploration
  • Defense & Military
  • Residential Energy
  • Emergency power
  • Portable power supplies
  • Educational
  • Recreational

Applications Options

  • Organic vs. Inorganic
  • Single vs. Multi-Junction
  • Crystalline vs. Amorphous
  • Flexible vs. Inflexible
  • Thin Film
  • Hybrid
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SLIDE 8

Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Anode Cathode

  • M. He et al. J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 24253-24264
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SLIDE 9

Losses in Solar Cells

Loss

Optical

Reflection Shadowing Unabsorbed Radiation

Electrical

Recombination Ohmic

hP = P

max

P

in

= JSC × V

OC ×

FF P

inc

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SLIDE 10

Light Trapping

  • Proposed as early as 1965
  • Increase optical path length

Semiconductor material Semiconductor material

Rear Reflector

Internal Reflection

  • +
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SLIDE 11

Light Trapping in Literature

  • Laser Texturing
  • Chemical Etching
  • Nanowires
  • Nanoholes
  • Surface Texturing
  • Y. Liu, et al. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 46 (2013) 24008
  • H. Choi, et al. Nano Lett. 13(5) (2013) 2204
  • J. Zhao, et al. SOLMAT 42 (1996) 87
  • M. Berginski, et al. J. Appl.
  • Phys. 101 (2007) 74903
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SLIDE 12

Light Trapping in Nature

1µm 20µm 2µm 1µm

  • Z. Han, et al. Nanoscale, 2012, 4, 2879-2883
  • Z. Han, et al. Nanoscale, 2013, 5, 8500-8506

W.L. Min, et al. Adv. Mater, 2008, 20, 3914 D.G. Stavenga, et al. P. Roy Soc B-Biol Sci, 2006, 273, 661

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SLIDE 13

Biomimetic Light Trapping Approach

  • Diatom Algae
  • Earth Abundant
  • 3D Nanostructured silica frustule
  • Trap light for photosynthesis
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SLIDE 14

Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

  • Fossilized remains of diatom algae
  • Photonic Crystal (PhC)
  • Absorption spectrum matches chlorophyll
  • Average length ~ 20 um
  • Active layer thickness ~200 nm
  • L. McMillon-Brown, Marina Mariano, et al. Manuscript in Preparation
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SLIDE 15

Device Fabrication

20 µm

1 mm

1µm

  • L. McMillon-Brown, Marina Mariano, et al. Manuscript in Preparation
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SLIDE 16

Optimal Cell Loading

Addition of DE allows a 36% thinner active layer to achieve comparable PCE to device with standard active layer thickness.

  • L. McMillon-Brown, Marina Mariano, et al. Manuscript in Preparation

199± 8 nm 164± 6 nm 128± 3 nm 128± 3 nm DE

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SLIDE 17

Pristine DE as Simulated Light Trap

  • L. McMillon-Brown, Marina Mariano, et al. Manuscript in Preparation
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SLIDE 18

Simulation Results

  • L. McMillon-Brown, Marina Mariano, et al. Manuscript in Preparation
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SLIDE 19

Further Applications of DE

  • Plasmonic resonators
  • Patterned electrodes
  • Anti reflective coatings
  • L. Lu, et al. Nano Lett. 13(1) (2013) 59
  • S. Chandrasekaran, et al. Chem Commun. 50 (2014) 10441
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SLIDE 20

Design Rules for DE Inspired Solar

The frustule or PhC replica:

  • 1. must be applied within active layer to ensure

photon absorption results in exciton generation

  • 2. can be implemented in any solution

processable solar cell

  • 3. should be positioned in imbedded orientation

for optimal device performance

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SLIDE 21

Future Work

  • Conduct experiments to create design rules for

various types of solar modules

  • Produce and test optimal simulated device
  • Couple DE inspired PhC with other solar

phenomena (plasmonic resonance, FRET) to further enhance device performance

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SLIDE 22

Theodor Förster (1910-1974)

Image from: Chem. Rev. Soc. (2014), 43, 588

Q: What else can we learn from nature to develop more efficient electronics?

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SLIDE 23
  • Prof. André D. Taylor, Prof. Barry P. Rand & Prof. Andrey Semichaevsky
  • Dr. Marina Mariano
  • Dr. Sara M. Hashmi
  • YunHui L. Lin
  • Jinyang Li
  • Michael F. Piszczor
  • Dr. Al Hepp
  • Jeremiah McNatt
  • Transformative Materials & Devices Lab Members
  • Photovoltaic & Electrochemical Systems Branch Members
  • Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena (CRISP)
  • Yale Institute for Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering (YINQE)
  • Yale University Rock Preparation Laboratory

Acknowledgements