Shengyi Yang

Influence of the active layer nanomorphology on device performance for ternary PbS(x)Se(1-x) quantum dots based solution-processed infrared photodetector.

In this paper, the influence of the active layer nanomorphology on device performance for ternary PbS(x)Se(1-x) quantum dot-based solution-processed infrared photodetector is presented. Firstly, ternary PbS(x)Se(1-x) quantum dots (QDs) in various chemical composition were synthesized and the bandgap of the ternary PbS(x)Se(1-x) QDs can be controlled by the component ratio of S/(S + Se), and then field-effect transistor (FET) based photodetectors Au/PbS0.4Se0.6:P3HT/PMMA/Al, in which ternary PbS0.4Se0.6 QDs doped with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) act as the active layer and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as the dielectric layer, were presented. By changing the weight ratio of P3HT to PbS0.4Se0.6 QDs (K = M(P3HT):M(QDs)) in dichlorobenzene solution, we found that the device with K = 2:1 shows optimal electrical property in dark; however, the device with K = 1:2 demonstrated optimal performance under illumination, showing a maximum responsivity and specific detectivity of 55.98 mA W(-1) and 1.02 × 10(10) Jones, respectively, at low V(DS) = -10 V and V(G) = 3 V under 980 nm laser with an illumination intensity of 0.1 mW cm(-2). By measuring the atomic force microscopy phase images of PbS0.4Se0.6:P3HT films in different weight ratio K, our experimental data show that the active layer nanomorphology has a great influence on the device performance. Also, it provides an easy way to fabricate high performance solution-processed infrared photodetector.

Charge Carrier Conduction Mechanism in PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells: Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Study.

With its properties of bandgap tunability, low cost, and substrate compatibility, colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are becoming promising materials for optoelectronic applications. Additionally, solution-processed organic, inorganic, and hybrid ligand-exchange technologies have been widely used in PbS CQDs solar cells, and currently the maximum certified power conversion efficiency of 9.9% has been reported by passivation treatment of molecular iodine. Presently, there are still some challenges, and the basic physical mechanism of charge carriers in CQDs-based solar cells is not clear. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is a monitoring technology for current by changing the frequency of applied alternating current voltage, and it provides an insight into its electrical properties that cannot be measured by direct current testing facilities. In this work, we used EIS to analyze the recombination resistance, carrier lifetime, capacitance, and conductivity of two typical PbS CQD solar cells Au/PbS-TBAl/ZnO/ITO and Au/PbS-EDT/PbS-TBAl/ZnO/ITO, in this way, to better understand the charge carriers conduction mechanism behind in PbS CQD solar cells, and it provides a guide to design high-performance quantum-dots solar cells.

High performance solution-processed infrared photodetector based on PbSe quantum dots doped with low carrier mobility polymer poly(N-vinylcarbazole)

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are promising materials for flexible electronics, light sensing and energy conversion. In particular, as a narrow bandgap semiconductor, lead selenide (PbSe) CQDs have attracted considerable interest due to their potential applications in infrared (IR) optoelectronics such as IR light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors and solar cells. Solution-processed photodetectors are more attractive owing to their flexible, large-scale and low-cost fabrication, and their performance depends greatly on the film quality and surface morphology. In this study, a high performance solution-processed infrared photodetector based on PbSe CQDs blended with low hole mobility polymer poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) is presented. In order to obtain a higher device performance, different volume ratios (K = VPVK/VPbSe) of PVK (20 mg ml−1 in chloroform) in PbSe CQDs (15 mg ml−1 in chlorobenzene) were investigated, and a maximum responsivity and specific detectivity of 2.93 A W−1 and 1.24 × 1012 jones, respectively, were obtained at VG = −20 V under 30 mW cm−2 980 nm laser illumination for field-effect transistor (FET)-based photodetector Au(S&D)/PbSe : PVK/PMMA/Al(G), in which PbSe : PVK nanocomposite with K = 1 : 2 acts as the active layer and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as the dielectric layer. The reasons for the high device performance of PbSe : PVK nanocomposite as an active layer are discussed, in which PbSe nanoparticles were blended with low hole mobility polymer PVK but showed comparable detectivity as that blended with regioregular P3HT. Moreover, all these types of photodetectors are very stable for reverse fabrication using PMMA dielectric layer to shield the active layer from the environment and by inorganic ligand exchange treatment on the active layer.

High performance solution-processed infrared photodiode based on ternary PbSxSe1−x colloidal quantum dots

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been the subject for wide research studies owing to their quantum confinement effect. Photodetectors or photodiodes are recognized potential applications for QDs due to their high photosensitivity, solution processability and low cost of production. In this paper, a solution-processed near-infrared photodiode ITO/ZnO/PbSxSe1−x/Au, in which ternary PbSxSe1−x QDs act as the active layer and the ZnO interlayer acts as electron-transporting layer, was demonstrated. The photosensitive spectrum can be broadened by adjusting the molar fraction of ternary PbSxSe1−x QDs. The narrow band edge of absorption and photoluminescence exciton energy of PbSxSe1−x alloyed NCs were blue-shifted from the band edge of the same size PbSe QDs to the band edge of PbS QDs by controlling the S/(Se + S) molar ratio in the synthetic mixture. Efficient electron extraction was carried out by inserting a solution-processed ZnO interlayer between the indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrode and the active layer. Our experimental results show that the solution processing of the ZnO layer can lead to high-performance photodiodes by using photosensitized PbS0.4Se0.6 alloyed nanocrystals as the active layer. The effect of the thickness of the active layer on the device performance was briefly described and a maximum photoresponsivity and specific detectivity of 25.8 A/W and 1.30 × 1013 Jones, respectively, were obtained at a certain thickness under 100 μW cm−2 980 nm laser illumination. The devices are made stably by layer-by-layer ligand exchange treatment.