Fernandes S.L., Zaghete M.A., Graeff C.F.O., Varella J.A., Longo E.
UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, BR
Keywords: solar cells, zinc oxide
So far, the most successful solar cells have been produced using porous nanoparticles combined with TiO2 films. However, ZnO has emerged as a promising alternative to replace TiO2, with marked improvements in performance of the cells produced based on ZnO. The band gap and electron affinity of the two oxides, ZnO and TiO2, are very similar, however, the ZnO has a higher electron mobility. ZnO also has a lower density of states in the conduction band, which promotes the rate of injected electrons as compared to the TiO2. Thus, the potential use of the ZnO solar cell includes good electron transport and rapid transfer of load due to high electron mobility, 2-3 orders of magnitude higher compared with anatase TiO2. Thus, this paper presents the synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanowires for solar cells application.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 3, Nanotechnology 2014: Electronics, Manufacturing, Environment, Energy & Water
Published: June 15, 2014
Pages: 332 - 334
Industry sector: Energy & Sustainability
Topic: Solar Technologies
ISBN: 978-1-4822-5830-1