Chen-Hao Ku

Effects of dye adsorption on the electron transport properties in ZnO-nanowire dye-sensitized solar cells

Mercurochrome and N3 dyes are employed to be the sensitizers in the ZnO-nanowire (NW) dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A lower fill factor is obtained in the N3-sensitized cell which results in comparable efficiencies in both ZnO-NW DSSCs although the N3 molecules possess a wider absorptive range for light harvesting. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open-circuit photovoltage decay measurements are employed to investigate the electron transport properties in both ZnO-NW DSSCs. The results indicate that more abundant electron interfacial recombination occurs in the N3-sensitized ZnO-NW DSSC due to the higher surface trap density in the ZnO-NW photoanode after N3 dye adsorption.

Electron transport properties in ZnO nanowire array/nanoparticle composite dye-sensitized solar cells

A significant improvement of the efficiency of the ZnO nanowire (NW) dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has been achieved by the chemical bath deposition of the dense nanoparticles (NPs) within the interstices of the vertical ZnO-NW anode. Impedance analyses of the electron transports in DSSCs reveal that the effective diffusion coefficient of an electron in the ZnO-NW array/NP composite anode falls between those in the ZnO-NW and TiO2-NP anodes. The superior performance of the ZnO-NW array/NP composite DSSC to the ZnO-NW cell is mainly ascribed to the enrichment of the light harvesting without significantly sacrificing the electron transport efficiency.

Near-ultraviolet photodetector based on hybrid polymer/zinc oxide nanorods by low-temperature solution processes

In this article, we have proposed a nanostructured near-ultraviolet photodetector (<400nm) based on the ZnO nanorod/polyfluorene hybrid by solution processes at low temperature. The current-voltage characteristic of the hybrid device demonstrates the typical pn-heterojunction diode behavior, consisting of p-type polymer and n-type ZnO nanorods, respectively. The relative quantum efficiencies of the hybrid device exhibit a nearly three order difference while illuminated under UV and visible light, respectively. The responsivity for the device can reach to 0.18A∕W at 300nm by applying a bias of −2V, which provides a route to fabricate a low-cost near-UV photodetector.

Nanostructured metal oxide/conjugated polymer hybrid solar cells by low temperature solution processes

In this article, we have proposed a nanostructured photovoltaic device based on the ZnO nanostructures/poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT):TiO2 nanorod hybrid by solution processes at low temperature. An array of ZnO nanorods with a larger size of ∼50 nm in diameter and ∼180 nm in length are grown to provide direct pathways for efficient charge collection. TiO2 nanorods with a size of ∼5 nm in diameter and ∼20–30 nm in length are incorporated into polymers to facilitate charge separation and transport by providing an increased interfacial area and a more effective transport pathway. The device performance with the inclusion of TiO2 nanorods exhibits a seven times increase in the short circuit current with respect to that without TiO2 nanorods. The device performance can be further enhanced after completely removing the residual surfactant on the TiO2 nanorods using the ligand exchange method, giving a short circuit current density of 2.67 mA cm−2 and a power conversion efficiency of 0.59% under Air Mass 1.5 (100 mW cm−2) illumination.

Enhancing Electron Collection Efficiency and Effective Diffusion Length in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy and intensity-modulated photovoltage spectroscopy are employed to measure the dynamics of electron transport and recombination in the ZnO nanowire (NW) array-ZnO/layered basic zinc acetate (LBZA) nanoparticle (NP) composite dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The roles of the vertical ZnO NWs and insulating LBZA in the electron collection and transport in DSSCs are investigated by comparing the results to those in the TiO(2)-NP, horizontal TiO(2)-NW and vertical ZnO-NW-array DSSCs. The electron transport rate and electron lifetime in the ZnO NW/NP composite DSSC are superior to those in the conventional TiO(2)-NP cell due to the existence of the vertical ZnO NWs and insulating LBZA. It indicates that the ZnO NW/NP composite anode is able to sustain efficient electron collection over much greater thickness than the TiO(2)-NP cell does. Consequently, a larger effective electron diffusion length is available in the ZnO composite DSSC.

Structural and optical properties of single crystal Zn1-xMgxO nanorods - Experimental and theoretical studies

Structural and optical properties of single crystal Zn1−xMgxO nanorods (0≤x≤0.17) are studied experimentally and theoretically. Structural analyses indicate that the nanorods grown on Si substrates are oriented in the c-axis direction and the nanorods possess the single-crystalline hexagonal structure with the Mg incorporated within the ZnO nanorods by means of substituting Zn. A blueshift of the near-band edge emission in the photoluminescence spectra by increasing Mg content is observed. Two distinct emission bands are found in the photoluminescence spectra; one is mainly attributed to the delocalized exciton recombination and the other is originating from localized excitons due to the incorporation of foreign impurity of Mg. Enhanced exciton localization with increasing Mg content in Zn1−xMgxO nanorods is mainly due to large ionic characters of Mg-O bonding. Structural stability, band structures, projected density of states, and charge distribution in various Zn1−xMgxO alloy compounds were further inve...

Polarized neutron and X-ray reflectivity study of the structure and exchange coupling of permalloy(Ni80Fe20)/Cr/permalloy trilayers

The magnetic coupling between two permalloy layers with a Cr separating layer was studied using LMOKE, polarized neutron reflectivity and XRD. The coupling between two permalloy layers is antiferromagnetic-like when the Cr thickness is near 2.0 nm along the easy axis. A strong biquadratic coupling term has been found from the polarized neutron reflectivity study. The strong biquadratic coupling may be caused by the rough interface between the permalloy and Cr layers. The missing GMR effect of this system might be due to this strong biquadratic coupling of permalloy layers.

Charge separation and transport in ZnO nanostructures/polymer:TiO2 hybrid solar cell

This paper aims to propose a 3D nanostructured organic-inorganic hybrid photovoltaic device based on the ZnO nanostructures/poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT):TiO2 nanorods hybrids by solution processes at low temperature. An array of ZnO nanorods with a larger size of ~50 nm in diameter and ~180 nm in length are grown to provide direct pathways for efficient charge collection. TiO2 nanorods with a size of ~5 nm in diameter and ~20-30 nm in length are incorporated into polymer to facilitate charge separation and transport by providing increased interfacial area and more effective transport pathway. The device performance with the inclusion of TiO2 nanorods exhibits a seven times increase in the short circuit current with respect to that without TiO2 nanorods.

Element-specific magnetic properties of the epitaxial NiFe/Cr/NiFe trilayers

Ni and Fe L3,2-edge magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and Cr K-edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements have been performed for the Py/Cr(tCr)/Py (Py=Ni80Fe20) trilayers with tCr=5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 A. The MCD asymmetry ratios in the Ni and Fe L3-edges spectra are found strongly affected by the thickness of the Cr layer. The moments of the Fe and Ni 3d states are found, respectively, to decrease and increase suddenly when tCr increases beyond 20 A. The measured magneto-optical Kerr effect hysteresis loops show a ferromagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic phase transition at about the same Cr-layer thickness. The transition of the magnetic property is found to correlate with the structural transition of the Cr spacer layer from a pseudomorphic fcc-like structure to a bcc structure.