Direct‐Patterning SWCNTs Using Dip Pen Nanolithography for SWCNT/Silicon Solar Cells

Corletto, Alexander; Yu, LePing; Shearer, Cameron J.; Gibson, Christopher T.; Shapter, Joseph G.

doi:10.1002/smll.201800247

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…CNT suspensions were prepared using previously published approaches [37][38][39]. A surfactant solution was formed by adding Triton X-100 to water at a concentration of 1% v/v.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Gravity Filtration of Carbon Nanotubes from Suspension to Produce Films with Low Roughness for Carbon Nanotube/Silicon Heterojunction Solar Device Application

et al. 2020

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The morphology of carbon nanotube (CNT) films is an important factor in the performance of CNT/silicon (CNT/Si) heterojunction solar devices. Films have generally been prepared via vacuum filtration from aqueous suspensions. Whilst this enables strong films to be formed quickly, they are highly disordered on the micron scale, with many charge traps and gaps forming in the films. It has been previously established that lowering the filtration speed enables more ordered films to be formed. The use of slow gravity filtration to improve the morphology of CNT films used in the CNT/Si device is reported here. It was found that slow filtration causes significant macroscale inhomogeneity in the CNT films, with concentrated thick regions, surrounded by larger thinner areas. By using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and polarised Raman spectroscopy, it was determined that there was no large improvement in directional organisation of the CNTs on the microscale. However, the films were found to be much smoother on the microscale, with arithmetic and root mean square average height deviation values roughly 3 times lower for slow-filtered films compared to fast-filtered films. A comparison was performed with CNT-Si solar cells fabricated with both slow and fast-filtered single-walled CNTs (SWCNT) films. It was found that slow filtration can produce similar photovoltaic results with thinner films. The results demonstrate that film morphology, even without improved CNT alignment, can lead to significant improvement in device performance in some applications. However, slow filtration did not form films of uniform light transmittance over an extended area, causing an increase in the variation in performance between individual devices compared to fast-filtered films.

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“…CNT suspensions were prepared using previously published approaches [37][38][39]. A surfactant solution was formed by adding Triton X-100 to water at a concentration of 1% v/v.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Gravity Filtration of Carbon Nanotubes from Suspension to Produce Films with Low Roughness for Carbon Nanotube/Silicon Heterojunction Solar Device Application

et al. 2020

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“…Continued progress in nanotechnology however, relies on our ability to effectively define structures with 1-100 nm precision on a variety of materials [4][5][6] ; a task which becomes increasingly challenging as device dimensions shrink and the range of materials expands. To achieve this increasingly onerous task, a wide spectrum of top-down and bottom-up approaches have been deployed with emphasis on resolution, cost, and throughput-depending on the application-and ranging from complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes for nanoelectronics 7,8 to the additive patterning of biological 9,10 and 2D materials [11][12][13][14] . Among these methods, the family of scanning probe lithographies (SPLs) have attracted significant attention due to their unmatched flexibility in materials processing, maskless operation, and the ultra high resolution they afford 5 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploiting rotational asymmetry for sub-50 nm mechanical nanocalligraphy

et al. 2021

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Nanofabrication has experienced extraordinary progress in the area of lithography-led processes over the last decades, although versatile and adaptable techniques addressing a wide spectrum of materials are still nascent. Scanning probe lithography (SPL) offers the capability to readily pattern sub-100 nm structures on many surfaces; however, the technique does not scale to dense and multi-lengthscale structures. Here, we demonstrate a technique, which we term nanocalligraphy scanning probe lithography (nc-SPL), that overcomes these limitations. Nc-SPL employs an asymmetric tip and exploits its rotational asymmetry to generate structures spanning the micron to nanometer lengthscales through real-time linewidth tuning. Using specialized tip geometries and by precisely controlling the patterning direction, we demonstrate sub-50 nm patterns while simultaneously improving on throughput, tip longevity, and reliability compared to conventional SPL. We further show that nc-SPL can be employed in both positive and negative tone patterning modes, in contrast to conventional SPL. This underlines the potential of this technique for processing sensitive surfaces such as 2D materials, which are prone to tip-induced shear or beam-induced damage.

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“…With a power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 20%, crystalline silicon (polysilicon or monocrystalline silicon) solar cells are currently dominating the photovoltaic (PV) market. [ 18,19 ] Nonetheless, the further development of silicon solar cells is limited because of the complex production process, high production cost, and the PCE that is already close to the theoretical limit value. The silicon wafer is brittle which restricts its application in flexible solar cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Graphene‐Based Materials in Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

et al. 2020

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Metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have recently become the most promising new‐generation solar cells, with a breathtaking growth of efficiency from 3.8% to 25.2% in just one decade. Scientists have abandoned the traditional high‐temperature‐processed mesoscopic layer of the initial mesoscopic PSCs in designing and manufacturing planar PSCs. This new feature endows planar PSCs with possibilities of low‐temperature processibility and large‐scale production. Nevertheless, the advancement of planar PSCs remains limited by two bottlenecks: charge loss and device degradation. To address these two issues, researchers have adopted graphene‐based materials, which demonstrate tremendous potentials due to their superb optical transparency, outstanding carrier mobility, remarkable electrical conductivity, and superior physicochemical stability. Defects inside films and at interfaces are regulated by graphene, thereby contributing to more efficient charge extraction and suppressed charge recombination. The graphene protective layer enhances the moisture and heat stability of planar PSCs, thereby extending the lifetime of devices. Herein, the typical synthesis methods of graphene and the recent applications of graphene in planar PSCs are summarized and discussed. Furthermore, concluding perspectives on current challenges and the future development of graphene in planar PSCs are proposed.

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Direct‐Patterning SWCNTs Using Dip Pen Nanolithography for SWCNT/Silicon Solar Cells

Cited by 14 publications

References 41 publications

The Use of Gravity Filtration of Carbon Nanotubes from Suspension to Produce Films with Low Roughness for Carbon Nanotube/Silicon Heterojunction Solar Device Application

The Use of Gravity Filtration of Carbon Nanotubes from Suspension to Produce Films with Low Roughness for Carbon Nanotube/Silicon Heterojunction Solar Device Application

Exploiting rotational asymmetry for sub-50 nm mechanical nanocalligraphy

Graphene‐Based Materials in Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

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