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- Title
High-specific-power flexible transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells.
- Authors
Nassiri Nazif, Koosha; Daus, Alwin; Hong, Jiho; Lee, Nayeun; Vaziri, Sam; Kumar, Aravindh; Nitta, Frederick; Chen, Michelle E.; Kananian, Siavash; Islam, Raisul; Kim, Kwan-Ho; Park, Jin-Hong; Poon, Ada S. Y.; Brongersma, Mark L.; Pop, Eric; Saraswat, Krishna C.
- Abstract
Semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising for flexible high-specific-power photovoltaics due to their ultrahigh optical absorption coefficients, desirable band gaps and self-passivated surfaces. However, challenges such as Fermi-level pinning at the metal contact–TMD interface and the inapplicability of traditional doping schemes have prevented most TMD solar cells from exceeding 2% power conversion efficiency (PCE). In addition, fabrication on flexible substrates tends to contaminate or damage TMD interfaces, further reducing performance. Here, we address these fundamental issues by employing: (1) transparent graphene contacts to mitigate Fermi-level pinning, (2) MoOx capping for doping, passivation and anti-reflection, and (3) a clean, non-damaging direct transfer method to realize devices on lightweight flexible polyimide substrates. These lead to record PCE of 5.1% and record specific power of 4.4 W g−1 for flexible TMD (WSe2) solar cells, the latter on par with prevailing thin-film solar technologies cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium selenide, amorphous silicon and III-Vs. We further project that TMD solar cells could achieve specific power up to 46 W g−1, creating unprecedented opportunities in a broad range of industries from aerospace to wearable and implantable electronics. Ultrathin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) hold promise for next-generation lightweight photovoltaics. Here, the authors demonstrate the first flexible high power-per-weight TMD solar cells with notably improved power conversion efficiency.
- Subjects
SOLAR cells; COPPER indium selenide; TRANSITION metals; INDIUM gallium zinc oxide; SOLAR technology; CADMIUM telluride
- Publication
Nature Communications, 2021, Vol 12, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2041-1723
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s41467-021-27195-7