Showing papers on "Heterojunction published in 2005"

Nanoscale Morphology of High-Performance Polymer Solar Cells

Abstract: Transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction are used to study the changes in morphology of composite films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and a methanofullerene derivative (PCBM) in bulk heterojunction solar cells. Thermal annealing produces and stabilizes a nanoscale interpenetrating network with crystalline order for both components. P3HT forms long, thin conducting nanowires in a rather homogeneous, nanocrystalline PCBM film. Both the improved crystalline nature of films and increased but controlled demixing between the two constitutes therein after annealing explains the considerable increase of the power conversion efficiency observed in these devices.

Device model for the operation of polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells

Abstract: We have developed a numerical device model that consistently describes the current-voltage characteristics of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells. Bimolecular recombination and a temperature- and field-dependent generation mechanism of free charges are incorporated. It is demonstrated that in poly[2-methoxy-5-(3('),7(')-dimethyloctyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene]- (OC1C10-PPV-) and [6,6]-phenyl C-61-butyric acid methyl ester- (PCBM-) (1:4 wt. %) based solar cells space-charge effects only play a minor role, leading to a relatively constant electric field in the device. Furthermore, at short-circuit conditions only 7% of all free carriers are lost due to bimolecular recombination. The model predicts that an increased hole mobility together with a reduction of the acceptor strength of 0.5 eV will lead to a maximum attainable efficiency of 5.5% in the PPV/PCBM-based solar cells.

Device annealing effect in organic solar cells with blends of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) and soluble fullerene

Abstract: Here we report enhanced efficiency bulk heterojunction organic solar cells using blend films of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 (PCBM) that are subjected to a thermal annealing process. Blend films (P3HT:PCBM=1:1 by weight) were prepared using chlorobenzene and 1,2-dichlorobenzene in order to investigate the role of the solvent. Irrespective of the chosen solvent, the optimal device annealing temperature was found to be 140 °C. The highest power conversion efficiency, 3% under air mass 1.5 simulated solar illumination (100mW∕cm2), was achieved by device annealing at 140 °C for 15 min using blend films prepared from chlorobenzene (2.3% for 1,2-dichlorobenzene).

One-dimensional hole gas in germanium/silicon nanowire heterostructures

Abstract: Two-dimensional electron and hole gas systems, enabled through band structure design and epitaxial growth on planar substrates, have served as key platforms for fundamental condensed matter research and high-performance devices. The analogous development of one-dimensional (1D) electron or hole gas systems through controlled growth on 1D nanostructure substrates, which could open up opportunities beyond existing carbon nanotube and nanowire systems, has not been realized. Here, we report the synthesis and transport studies of a 1D hole gas system based on a free-standing germanium/silicon (Ge/Si) core/shell nanowire heterostructure. Room temperature electrical transport measurements clearly show hole accumulation in undoped Ge/Si nanowire heterostructures, in contrast to control experiments on single-component nanowires. Low-temperature studies show well-controlled Coulomb blockade oscillations when the Si shell serves as a tunnel barrier to the hole gas in the Ge channel. Transparent contacts to the hole gas also have been reproducibly achieved by thermal annealing. In such devices, we observe conductance quantization at low temperatures, corresponding to ballistic transport through 1D subbands, where the measured subband energy spacings agree with calculations for a cylindrical confinement potential. In addition, we observe a “0.7 structure,” which has been attributed to spontaneous spin polarization, suggesting the universality of this phenomenon in interacting 1D systems. Lastly, the conductance exhibits little temperature dependence, consistent with our calculation of reduced backscattering in this 1D system, and suggests that transport is ballistic even at room temperature.

Magnetoelectric switching of exchange bias.

Abstract: The perpendicular exchange bias field, H(EB), of the magnetoelectric heterostructure Cr2O3(111)/(Co/Pt)(3) changes sign after field cooling to below the Neel temperature of Cr2O3 in either parallel or antiparallel axial magnetic and electric freezing fields. The switching of H(EB) is explained by magnetoelectrically induced antiferromagnetic single domains which extend to the interface, where the direction of their end spins controls the sign of H(EB). Novel applications in magnetoelectronic devices seem possible.

Ultraviolet electroluminescence from ZnO/polymer heterojunction light-emitting diodes.

Abstract: We report ultraviolet electroluminescence at 390 nm from diode structures consisting of electrodeposited ZnO nanorods sandwiched between a transparent SnO2 film and a p-type conducting polymer. The nanorods are embedded in an insulating polystyrene layer. ZnO deposition occurs at 90 °C and produces vertically oriented nanorods with very high uniformity over areas of ∼20 cm2. Electron diffraction shows the nanorods to be single crystalline wurtzite ZnO. As-grown films show a broad electroluminescence band over the visible spectrum. Annealing at moderate temperatures (T = 300 °C) increases the emission and strongly raises the excitonic contribution. Optimally processed films show a narrow ultraviolet electroluminescence line at ∼390 nm.

Suppression of nonradiative recombination by V-shaped pits in GaInN/GaN quantum wells produces a large increase in the light emission efficiency.

Abstract: Despite the high density of threading dislocations generally found in (AlGaIn)N heterostructures, the light emission efficiency of such structures is exceptionally high. It has become common to attribute the high efficiency to compositional fluctuations or even phase separation in the active GaInN quantum well region. The resulting localization of charge carriers is thought to keep them from recombining nonradiatively at the defects. Here, we show that random disorder is not the key but that under suitable growth conditions hexagonal V-shaped pits decorating the defects exhibit narrow sidewall quantum wells with an effective band gap significantly larger than that of the regular c-plane quantum wells. Thereby nature provides a unique, hitherto unrecognized mechanism generating a potential landscape which effectively screens the defects themselves by providing an energy barrier around every defect.

Dynamical Monte Carlo modelling of organic solar cells: the dependence of internal quantum efficiency on morphology.

Abstract: We present a dynamical Monte Carlo study of the dependence of the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of an organic bulk heterojunction solar cell on the device morphology. The IQE is found to be strongly sensitive to the scale of phase separation in the morphology, with a peak at approximately 20 nm for the PFB/F8BT system studied. An ordered, checkered morphology exhibits a peak IQE 1.5 times higher than a disordered blend.

p-ZnO/n-GaN heterostructure ZnO light-emitting diodes

Abstract: We report on the characteristics of a ZnO light-emitting diode (LED) comprised of a heterostructure of p-ZnO/n-GaN The LED structure consisted of a phosphorus doped p-ZnO film with a hole concentration of 668×1017cm−3 and a Si-doped n-GaN film with an electron concentration of 11×1018cm−3 The I–V of the LED showed a threshold voltage of 54 V and an electroluminescence (EL) emission of 409 nm at room temperature The EL emission peak at 409 nm was attributed to the band gap of p-ZnO which was reduced as the result of the band offset at the interface of p-ZnO and n-GaN

Surface passivation of III-V compound semiconductors using atomic-layer-deposition-grown Al2O3

Abstract: Al2O3 was deposited on In0.15Ga0.85As∕GaAs using atomic-layer deposition (ALD). Without any surface preparation or postthermal treatment, excellent electrical properties of Al2O3∕InGaAs∕GaAs heterostructures were obtained, in terms of low electrical leakage current density (10−8 to 10−9A∕cm2) and low interfacial density of states (Dit) in the range of 1012cm−2eV−1. The interfacial reaction and structural properties studied by high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HRXPS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The depth profile of HRXPS, using synchrotron radiation beam and low-energy Ar+ sputtering, exhibited no residual arsenic oxides at interface. The removal of the arsenic oxides from Al2O3∕InGaAs heterostructures during the ALD process ensures the Fermi-level unpinning, which was observed in the capacitance-voltage measurements. The HRTEM shows sharp transition from amorphous oxide to single crystalline semiconductor.

General shape control of colloidal CdS, CdSe, CdTe quantum rods and quantum rod heterostructures.

Abstract: We report a general synthetic method for the formation of shape-controlled CdS, CdSe and CdTe nanocrystals and mixed-semiconductor heterostructures. The crystal growth kinetics can be manipulated by changing the injection rate of the chalcogen precursor, allowing the particle shapespherical or rodliketo be tuned without changing the underlying chemistry. A single injection of precursor leads to isotropic spherical growth, whereas multiple injections promote epitaxial growth along the length of the c-axis. This method was extended to produce linear type I and type II semiconductor nanocrystal heterostructures.

Optically bright quantum dots in single Nanowires.

Abstract: We fabricate and demonstrate optically active quantum dots embedded in single nanowires. Observation of photon antibunching proves the zero dimensionality of these heterostructures that can be epitaxially grown on various substrates, including silicon. We show that the nanowire dots are intense single photon sources, typically an order of magnitude brighter than self-assembled quantum dots. Due to control over their composition, size, and position, nanowire dots are ideal building blocks for fully controlled quantum dot molecules.

Growth of uniformly aligned ZnO nanowire heterojunction arrays on GaN, AlN, and Al0.5Ga0.5N substrates.

Abstract: Vertically aligned single-crystal ZnO nanorods have been successfully fabricated on semiconducting GaN, Al0.5Ga0.5N, and AlN substrates through a vapor−liquid−solid process. Near-perfect alignment was observed for all substrates without lateral growth. Room-temperature photoluminescence measurements revealed a strong luminescence peak at ∼378 nm. This work demonstrates the possibility of growing heterojunction arrays of ZnO nanorods on AlxGa1-xN, which has a tunable band gap from 3.44 to 6.20 eV by changing the Al composition from 0 to 1, and opens a new channel for building vertically aligned heterojunction device arrays with tunable optical properties and the realization of a new class of nanoheterojunction devices.

Electrical and optical properties of p-type ZnO

Abstract: ZnO has ideal qualities for bright, efficient UV light emitting diodes and laser diodes, based on p–n junctions. However, while high quality n-type ZnO has been available for many years, the development of good p-type material is a much more recent phenomenon. The most successful acceptor dopants have been the group V elements, N, P and As; N substitutes on the O site, but the exact structures of the P and As acceptors have not yet been established. Resistivities as low as 0.4 Ω cm have been measured, and some UV heterojunction and homojunction LEDs have been fabricated. Optical fingerprints of p-type ZnO often include a photoluminescence line at 3.31 eV, and strong donor-bound exciton lines at 3.357 and 3.367 eV, both of which are well known from previous studies of n-type ZnO.

The Effect of Thermal Treatment on the Morphology and Charge Carrier Dynamics in a Polythiophene–Fullerene Bulk Heterojunction

Abstract: The influence of various thermal treatment steps on the morphology and the photoconductive properties of a non-contacted, 50 nm thick blend (50:50 wt.-%) of [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) spin-coated from chloroform has been studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the electrodeless time-resolved microwave conductivity technique. After annealing the film for 5 min at 80 °C, TEM images show the formation of crystalline fibrils of P3HT due to a more ordered packing of the polymer chains. The thermal treatment results in a large increase of the photoconductivity, due to an enhancement of the hole mobility in these crystalline P3HT domains from 0.0056 cm2 V–1 s –1 for the non-annealed sample to 0.044 cm2 V–1 s –1 for the sample annealed at 80 °C. In contrast, the temporal shape of the photoconductivity, with typical decay half-times, τ1/2, of 1 μs for the lowest excitation intensities, is unaffected by the temperature treatment. Further annealing of the sample at 130 °C results in the formation of three different substructures within the heterojunction: a PCBM:P3HT blend with PCBM-rich clusters, a region depleted of PCBM, and large PCBM single crystals. Only a minor increase in the amplitude, but a tenfold rise of the decay time of the photoconductivity, is observed. This is explained by the formation of PCBM-rich clusters and large PCBM single crystals, resulting in an increased diffusional escape probability for mobile charge carriers and hence reduced recombination.

γ-Fe2O3/II−VI Sulfide Nanocrystal Heterojunctions

Abstract: Heterostructure nanocrystals (NCs) of γ-Fe2O3 and MS (M = Zn, Cd, Hg) are synthesized. The large lattice mismatch between γ-Fe2O3 and MS NCs leads to noncentrosymmetric structures. Crystallographic planes at the heterojunctions are identified by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Preferential formation of trimers and higher oligomers for ZnS and dimers or isolated particles for CdS and HgS with γ-Fe2O3 NCs are observed and explained by changes in the effective mismatch between the coincidence lattices of the most commonly observed junction planes.

Wave function engineering in elongated semiconductor nanocrystals with heterogeneous carrier confinement

Abstract: We explore two routes to wave function engineering in elongated colloidal CdSe/CdS quantum dots, providing deep insight into the intrinsic physics of these low-dimensional heterostructures. Varying the aspect ratio of the nanoparticle allows control over the electron-hole overlap (radiative rate), and external electric fields manipulate the interaction between the delocalized electron and the localized hole. In agreement with theory, this leads to an exceptional size dependent quantum confined Stark effect with field induced intensity modulations, opening applications as electrically switchable single photon sources.

Optical pumping of the electronic and nuclear spin of single charge-tunable quantum dots.

Abstract: We present a comprehensive examination of optical pumping of spins in individual GaAs quantum dots as we change the net charge from positive to neutral to negative with a charge-tunable heterostructure. Negative photoluminescence polarization memory is enhanced by optical pumping of ground state electron spins, which we prove with the first measurements of the Hanle effect on an individual quantum dot. We use the Overhauser effect in a high longitudinal magnetic field to demonstrate efficient optical pumping of nuclear spins for all three charge states of the quantum dot.

Analytical formalism for determining quantum-wire and quantum-dot band structure in the multiband envelope-function approximation

Abstract: We describe a new formalism for determining energy eigenstates of spherical quantum dots and cylindrical quantum wires in the multiple-band envelope-function approximation. The technique is based upon a reformulation of the K·P theory in a basis of eigenstates of total angular momentum. Stationary stales are formed by mixing bulk energy eigenvectors and imposing matching conditions across the heterostructure interface, yielding dispersion relations for eigenenergies in quantum wires and quantum dots. The bound states are studied for the conduction band and the coupled light and heavy holes as a function of radius for the GaAs/Al 2 Ga 1-x As quantum dot. Conduction-band-valence-band coupling is shown to be critical in a "type-II" InAs/GaSb quantum dot, which is studied here for the first time. Quantum-wire valence-subband dispersion and effective masses are determined for GaAs/Al x Ga 1-x As wires of several radii. The masses are found to be independent of wire radius in an infinite-well model, but strongly dependent on wire radius for a finite well, in which the effective mass of the highest-energy valence subband is as low as 0.16m o . Implications of the band-coupling effects on optical matrix elements in quantum wires and dots are discussed.

Mixed donor-acceptor molecular heterojunctions for photovoltaic applications. I. Material properties

Abstract: In this and the following paper (Parts I and II, respectively), we discuss the properties of mixed donor-acceptor organic thin films and their application to organic solar cells. In Part I, we present a study of the material properties of mixed donor-acceptor thin films. Through optical absorption, x-ray diffraction, microscopy, and charge transport measurements, we determine the relationships among film microstructure, mixing ratio, and charge conduction in mixtures of two organic molecular species. We find that mixed layers of the molecular pair of 1:1 (by weight) copper phthalocyanine in C60 have electron and hole mobilities reduced by more than one order of magnitude compared to corresponding films of pure composition. In Part II, we demonstrate that the performance of organic hybrid planar-mixed heterojunction photovoltaic cells based on a mixed donor-acceptor molecular layer sandwiched between the donor and acceptor layers of homogeneous composition can have improved performance over conventional pl...

Band-structure-corrected local density approximation study of semiconductor quantum dots and wires

Abstract: This paper presents results of ab initio accuracy thousand atom calculations of colloidal quantum dots and wires using the charge patching method. We have used density functional theory under local density approximation (LDA), and we have corrected the LDA bulk band structures by modifying the nonlocal pseudopotentials, so that their effective masses agree with experimental values. We have systematically studied the electronic states of group III-V (GaAs, InAs, InP, GaN, AlN, and InN) and group II-VI (CdSe, CdS, CdTe, ZnSe, ZnS, ZnTe, and ZnO) systems. We have also calculated the electron-hole Coulomb interactions in these systems. We report the exciton energies as functions of the quantum dot sizes and quantum wire diameters for all the above materials. We found generally good agreements between our calculated results and experimental measurements. For CdSe and InP, the currently calculated results agree well with the previously calculated results using semiempirical pseudopotentials. The ratios of band-gap-increases between quantum wires and dots are material-dependent, but a majority of them are close to 0.586, as predicted by the simple effective-mass model. Finally, the size dependence of $1{S}_{e}\text{\ensuremath{-}}1{P}_{e}$ transition energies of CdSe quantum dots agrees well with the experiment. Our results can be used as benchmarks for future experiments and calculations.

High temperature ferromagnetism in GaAs-based heterostructures with Mn delta doping.

Abstract: We show that suitably designed magnetic semiconductor heterostructures consisting of Mn delta (delta)-doped GaAs and p-type AlGaAs layers, in which the locally high concentration of magnetic moments of Mn atoms are controllably overlapped with the two-dimensional hole gas wave function, realized remarkably high ferromagnetic transition temperatures (T(C)). A significant reduction of compensative Mn interstitials by varying the growth sequence of the structures followed by low-temperature annealing led to high T(C) up to 250 K. The heterostructure with high T(C) exhibited peculiar anomalous Hall effect behavior, whose sign depends on temperature.

Charge transport and recombination in bulk heterojunction solar cells studied by the photoinduced charge extraction in linearly increasing voltage technique

Abstract: Charge carrier mobility and recombination in a bulk heterojunction solar cell based on the mixture of poly[2-methoxy-5-(3,7-dimethyloctyloxy)-phenylene vinylene] (MDMO-PPV) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)-C61 (PCBM) has been studied using the novel technique of photoinduced charge carrier extraction in a linearly increasing voltage (Photo-CELIV). In this technique, charge carriers are photogenerated by a short laser flash, and extracted under a reverse bias voltage ramp after an adjustable delay time (tdel). The Photo-CELIV mobility at room temperature is found to be μ=2×10−4cm2V−1s−1, which is almost independent on charge carrier density, but slightly dependent on tdel. Furthermore, determination of charge carrier lifetime and demonstration of an electric field dependent mobility is presented.

Mixed donor-acceptor molecular heterojunctions for photovoltaic applications. II. Device performance

Abstract: We demonstrate efficient organic photovoltaic cells employing a photoactive region composed of a mixed donor-acceptor molecular layer, the properties of which were introduced in the preceding paper (Part I) [Rand et al., J. Appl. Phys. 98, 124902 (2005)]. The hybrid planar-mixed heterojunction (PM-HJ) device architecture consists of a film mixture of donor and acceptor molecules inserted between layers of pure donor and acceptor composition. Using the donor, copper phthalocyanine, and the acceptor, C60, we demonstrate a hybrid PM-HJ cell with a maximum power conversion efficiency of (5.0±0.3)% under 1–4suns simulated AM1.5 solar illumination. The current-voltage characteristics of the PM-HJ cell are described using a model based on the field-dependent charge collection length.

Electronic properties of silicon nanowires

Abstract: The electronic structure and transmission coefficients of Si nanowires are calculated in a sp/sup 3/d/sup 5/s/sup */ model. The effect of wire thickness on the bandgap, conduction valley splitting, hole band splitting, effective masses, and transmission is demonstrated. Results from the sp/sup 3/d/sup 5/s/sup */ model are compared to those from a single-band effective mass model to assess the validity of the single-band effective mass model in narrow Si nanowires. The one-dimensional Brillouin zone of a Si nanowire is direct gap. The conduction band minimum can split into a quartet of energies although often two of the energies are degenerate. Conduction band valley splitting reduces the averaged mobility mass along the axis of the wire, but quantum confinement increases the transverse mass of the conduction band edge. Quantum confinement results in a large increase in the hole masses of the two highest valence bands. A single-band model performs reasonably well at calculating the effective band edges for wires as small as 1.54-nm square. A wire-substrate interface can be viewed as a heterojunction with band offsets resulting in reflection in the transmission.

Fabrication of nonpolar indium gallium nitride thin films, heterostructures and devices by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Abstract: A method for the fabrication of nonpolar indium gallium nitride (InGaN) films as well as nonpolar InGaN-containing device structures using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOVCD). The method is used to fabricate nonpolar InGaN/GaN violet and near-ultraviolet light emitting diodes and laser diodes.

Organic heterojunction and its application for double channel field-effect transistors

Abstract: Heterojunction organic field-effect transistor (OFET) based on p-type copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and n-type hexadecafluorophthalocyaninatocopper (F16CuPc) was demonstrated. The heterojunction OFETs can be operated in normally-on (depletion-accumulation) mode, which attributes to the existence of a new conductive channel at the interface of heterojunction. The new channel is originated from accumulation of electrons and holes induced by the interface dipole. Compared with the device with CuPc single layer, the double channel transistor displays improved field-effect mobility from 0.017to0.042cm2∕Vs, and threshold voltage shifts from −17to+19V. In addition, ambipolar electric characteristics have been observed from the heterojunction OFETs.