High Performance ZnO-SnO₂:F Nanocomposite Transparent Electrodes for Energy Applications

Abstract

Enhancing the propagation length of light without sacrificing the electro-optical properties of transparent electrodes is of particular interest to solar cells for reaching higher efficiency. This can typically be achieved by nanostructured electrodes but all too often at the expense of complexity and cost-effectiveness. In this work, we demonstrate the simple and low-cost fabrication of a new type of ZnO-SnO2:F nanocomposite thin film by combining spin-coated ZnO nanoparticles on glass with fluorine-doped SnO2 thin films deposited by atmospheric spray pyrolysis. The resulting nanocomposites exhibit a dual surface morphology featuring rough ZnO-SnO2:F nanostructures along with the original smooth SnO2:F thin film. By readily modulating the surface morphology of ZnO-SnO2:F nanocomposite thin films with the initial ZnO NP surface coverage, the scattering efficiency of the incident light can remarkably be controlled over the 400-1100 nm solar spectrum wavelength range. High quality hazy ZnO-SnO2:F thin layers are therefore formed with an averaged haze factor ranging from 0.4 to 64.2% over the 400-1100 nm solar spectrum range while the sheet resistance is kept smaller than 15 Ω/sq for an average total optical transmittance close to 80%, substrate absorption and reflection included. Eventually, optical simulations using Fourier transform techniques are performed for computing the obtained haze factors and show good agreement with experimental data in the 400-1100 nm solar spectrum wavelength range. This opens up additional opportunities for further design optimization of nanoengineered transparent electrodes.

Structural and plasmonic characteristics of sputtered SnO2:Sb and ZnO:Al thin films as a function of their thickness

“…In both materials, an increment of the peak intensities with the film thickness can be observed, which is higher for the (211) peak in the ATO samples and for the (002) peak in the AZO layers. The texture coefficients, C(h i k i l i ) and the degree of preferred orientation, R, have been calculated from the Harris method using the expressions [30,31]:…”

Optimization of silver nanowire-based transparent electrodes: effects of density, size and thermal annealing

“…A calculated optimum ܽ݉݀ can be extracted from Figure 7c ‫,ܮ‬ section ܵ and electrical resistivity ߩ, the resulting electrical resistance ܴ a layer 12 nm thick would then be equal to 0.8 Ω if the bulk silver value of ߩ is considered. Finally, for the sake of comparison with other transparent electrodes, Figure 8b shows the characteristics (T versus R s ) of different transparent conducting materials: ITO, 29 64 It can be seen that AgNW exhibit excellent properties comparable with ITO, if one considers the nanowires Ag117 investigated in the present work. This very simple calculation indeed shows that using a low amount of silver but in the shape of NWs with diameter larger than the mean free path of the electrons instead of a thin layer, where surface scattering would have too large effects, constitutes a very efficient way to fabricate a transparent electrode.…”

High triethylamine-sensing properties of NiO/SnO2 hollow sphere P–N heterojunction sensors

“…SnO 2 is generally well-known as a wide band gap n-type oxide semiconductor with a direct band gap of 3.6 eV [6,7]. It has been widely used for catalysts [8], lithium ion batteries [9] and transparent electrodes [10], especially in combustible and toxic gas detection devices (gas sensors) [11,12]. Previous reports have demonstrated that SnO 2 -based gas sensors exhibit good response to many toxic gases like H 2 S [13], CO [14] and volatile organic gas [15].…”