Quantum Dot Solar cells

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in quantum dot solar cells, highlighting their potential for higher efficiency through nanostructures like quantum dots superlattices and various device configurations.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in quantum dot solar cell technologies, including tandem, intermediate band, and solution-processed band engineering.

Findings

Quantum dots can produce multiple excitons per photon, increasing efficiency.

Quantum Dots Super Lattice enhances solar cell performance due to higher band gap and absorption.

Recent research focuses on fabrication, structural, electrical, and optical properties of quantum dot-based devices.

Abstract

There remains wide interest in solar cells being made using inexpensive materials and simple device manufacturing techniques to harvest ever-increasing amounts of energy. New semiconductor materials and new quantum nanostructures are exploited to fabricate high-efficiency next-generation solar cells. Quantum dots have offered an attractive option for photovoltaics. A single photon absorbed by a quantum dot produces more than one bound electron-hole pair, or exciton, thereby doubling normal conversion efficiency numbers seen in single-junction silicon cells. One potential is to use the solar cell configuration which incorporates. Quantum Dots Super Lattice (QDSL). QDSL provides a mechanism for the enhancement of solar sales due to their higher band gap and absorption coefficient when compared to their bulk material counterpart. The mini bands in the conduction, as well as the valence band of a QDSL, play an important role in solar cells because the photogenerated carriers are collected via transport using mini bands. In recent years, a lot of research has been done on crystal growth, structural, electrical, and optical properties of thin films and nanostructures as well as fabrication processes and characterization of photovoltaic devices. In this paper, all the recent developments in future generation quantum dot solar cells like a tandem, intermediate band, and solution-processed band alignment engineering from several research works will be presented.