Peichen Yu

13% Efficiency Hybrid Organic/Silicon-Nanowire Heterojunction Solar Cell via Interface Engineering

Interface carrier recombination currently hinders the performance of hybrid organic-silicon heterojunction solar cells for high-efficiency low-cost photovoltaics. Here, we introduce an intermediate 1,1-bis[(di-4-tolylamino)phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC) layer into hybrid heterojunction solar cells based on silicon nanowires (SiNWs) and conjugate polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The highest power conversion efficiency reaches a record 13.01%, which is largely ascribed to the modified organic surface morphology and suppressed saturation current that boost the open-circuit voltage and fill factor. We show that the insertion of TAPC increases the minority carrier lifetime because of an energy offset at the heterojunction interface. Furthermore, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy reveals that TAPC can effectively block the strong oxidation reaction occurring between PEDOT:PSS and silicon, which improves the device characteristics and assurances for reliability. These learnings point toward future directions for versatile interface engineering techniques for the attainment of highly efficient hybrid photovoltaics.

Nanoscale epitaxial lateral overgrowth of GaN-based light-emitting diodes on a SiO2 nanorod-array patterned sapphire template

High efficiency GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are demonstrated by a nanoscale epitaxial lateral overgrowth (NELO) method on a SiO2 nanorod-array patterned sapphire substrate (NAPSS). The transmission electron microscopy images suggest that the voids between SiO2 nanorods and the stacking faults introduced during the NELO of GaN can effectively suppress the threading dislocation density. The output power and external quantum efficiency of the fabricated LED were enhanced by 52% and 56%, respectively, compared to those of a conventional LED. The improvements originated from both the enhanced light extraction assisted by the NAPSS and the reduced dislocation densities using the NELO method.

Micro-textured conductive polymer/silicon heterojunction photovoltaic devices with high efficiency

In this work, hybrid heterojunction solar cells are demonstrated based on a conjugate polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) directly spun-cast on micro-textured n-type crystalline silicon wafers. The fabrication conditions suggest that the organic coverage on the micro-textured surface is excellent and key to achieve high efficiency, leading to an average power conversion efficiency of 9.84%. A one-dimensional drift-diffusion model is then developed based on fitting the device characteristics with experimentally determined PEDOT:PSS parameters and projects an ultimate efficiency above 20% for organic/inorganic hybrid photovoltaics. The simulation results reveal the impacts of defect densities, back surface recombination, doping concentration, and band alignment.

Fluid detection with photonic crystal-based multichannel waveguides

A simple fluid detection scheme, based on light propagation through linear defect waveguides in photonic crystals, is demonstrated with isopropanol and xylene. The two-channel photonic crystal waveguide sensor is made from a GaAs-based heterostructure. The preferential channeling of light is controlled by the change in the refractive index of the corresponding waveguide branch due to the presence of the inserted fluid in the guide regions only.

Broadband and omnidirectional antireflection employing disordered GaN nanopillars

Disordered GaN nanopillars of three different heights: 300, 550, and 720 nm are fabricated, and demonstrate broad angular and spectral antireflective characteristics, up to an incident angle of 60? and for the wavelength range of lambda=300-1800 nm. An algorithm based on a rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) method is developed to investigate the correlations between the reflective characteristics and the structural properties of the nanopillars. The broadband and omnidirectional antireflection arises mainly from the refractive-index gradient provided by nanopillars. Calculations show excellent agreement with the measured reflectivities for both s- and p- polarizations.

GaN-based two-dimensional surface-emitting photonic crystal lasers with AlN∕GaN distributed Bragg reflector

GaN-based two-dimensional (2D) surface-emitting photonic crystal (PC) lasers with AlN∕GaN distributed Bragg reflectors are fabricated and demonstrated. The lasing threshold energy density is about 3.5mJ∕cm2 per pulse under optical pumping at room temperature. Only one dominant emission wavelength of 424.3nm with a narrow linewidth of 1.1A above the threshold is observed. The laser emission covers whole circularly 2D PC patterns (50μm in diameter) with a small divergence angle. The lasing wavelength emitted from 2D PC lasers with different lattice constants occurs at the calculated band-edges provided by the PC patterns. The characteristics of large area, small divergence angle, and single mode emission from the GaN-based 2D surface-emitting PC lasers should be promising in high power blue-violet emitter applications.

Broadband and omnidirectional antireflection from conductive indium-tin-oxide nanocolumns prepared by glancing-angle deposition with nitrogen

Characteristic formation of highly oriented indium-tin-oxide (ITO) nanocolumns is demonstrated using electron-beam evaporation with an obliquely incident nitrogen flux. The nanocolumn material exhibits broadband and omnidirectional antireflective characteristics up to an incidence angle of 70° for the 350–900 nm wavelength range for both s- and p-polarizations. Calculations based on a rigorous coupled-wave analysis indicate that the superior antireflection arises from the tapered column profiles which collectively function as a gradient-index layer. Since the nanocolumns have a preferential growth direction which follows the incident vapor flux, the azimuthal and polarization dependence of reflectivities are also investigated. The single ITO nanocolumn layer can function as antireflection contacts for light emitting diodes and solar cells.

Characteristics of a photonic bandgap single defect microcavity electroluminescent device

A microcavity surface-emitting coherent electroluminescent device operating at room temperature under pulsed current injection is described. The microcavity is formed by a single defect in the center of a 2-D photonic crystal consisting of a GaAs-based heterostructure. The gain region consists of two 70-/spl Aring/ compressively strained In/sub 0.15/Ga/sub 0.85/As quantum wells, which exhibit a spontaneous emission peak at 940 nm. The maximum measured output power from a single device is 14.4 /spl mu/W. The near-field image of the output resembles the calculated TE mode distribution in a single defect microcavity. The measured far-field pattern indicates the predicted directionality of a microcavity light source. The light-current characteristics of the device exhibit a gradual turn-on, or a soft threshold, typical of single- or few-mode microcavity devices. Analysis of the characteristics with the carrier and photon rate equations yields a spontaneous emission factor /spl beta//spl ap/0.06.

Oblique electron-beam evaporation of distinctive indium-tin-oxide nanorods for enhanced light extraction from InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes

This paper presents a novel and mass-producible technique to fabricate indium-tin-oxide (ITO) nanorods which serve as an omnidirectional transparent conductive layer (TCL) for InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes (LEDs). The characteristic nanorods, prepared by oblique electron-beam evaporation in a nitrogen ambient, demonstrate high optical transmittance (T>90%) for the wavelength range of 450nm to 900nm. The light output power of a packaged InGaN/GaN LED with the incorporated nanorod layer is increased by 35.1% at an injection current of 350mA, compared to that of a conventional LED. Calculations based on a finite difference time domain (FDTD) method suggest that the extraction enhancement factor can be further improved by increasing the thickness of the nanorod layer, indicating great potential to enhance the luminous intensity of solid-state lighting devices using ITO nanorod structures.

Size-Dependent Strain Relaxation and Optical Characteristics of InGaN/GaN Nanorod LEDs

In this paper, InGaN/GaN nanorod LEDs with various sizes are fabricated using self-assembled Ni nanomasks and inductively coupled plasma-reactive ion etching. Photoluminescence (PL) characteristics exhibit size-dependent, wavelength blue shifts of the emission spectra from the nanorod LEDs. Numerical analyses using a valence force field model and a self-consistent Poisson, Schrodinger, and drift-diffusion solver quantitatively describe the correlation between the wavelength blue shifts and the strain relaxation of multiple quantum wells embedded in nanorods with different averaged sizes. Time-resolved PL studies confirm that the array with a smaller size exhibits a shorter carrier lifetime at low temperature, giving rise to a stronger PL intensity. However, the PL intensity deteriorates at room temperature, compared to that of a larger size, possibly due to an increased number of surface states, which decreases the nonradiative lifetime, and hence reduces the internal quantum efficiency.