title: Origin of Photovoltage Enhancement via Interfacial Modification with Silver Nanoparticles Embedded in an a-SiC:H p-Type Layer in a-Si:H Solar Cells.
abstract: We used silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) embedded in the p-type semiconductor layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells in the Schottky barrier contact design to modify the interface between aluminum-doped ZnO (ZnO:Al, AZO) and p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (p-a-SiC:H) without plasmonic absorption. The high work function of the Ag-NPs provided a good channel for the transport of photogenerated holes. A p-type nanocrystalline SiC:H layer was used to compensate for the real surface defects and voids on the surface of Ag-NPs to reduce recombination at the AZO/p-type layer interface, which then enhanced the photovoltage of single-junction a-Si:H solar cells to values as high as 1.01 V. The Ag-NPs were around 10 nm in diameter and thermally stable in the p-type a-SiC:H film at the solar-cell process temperature. We will also show that a wide range of photovoltages between 1.01 and 2.89 V could be obtained with single-, double-, and triple-junction solar cells based on the single-junction a-Si:H solar cells with tunable high photovoltage. These solar cells are suitable photocathodes for solar water-splitting applications.
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tiantian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qixing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dekun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Baozhang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Changchun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Baojie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Photo-electronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaodan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0522-5052
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: Schottky contact deign; photovoltage enhancement; silver nanoparticles; solar cell; water splitting