Increased upconversion performance for thin film solar cells: a trimolecular composition. Issue 1 (23rd October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cheng, Yuen Yap; Nattestad, Andrew; Schulze, Tim F.; MacQueen, Rowan W.; Fückel, Burkhard; Lips, Klaus; Wallace, Gordon G.; Khoury, Tony; Crossley, Maxwell J.; Schmidt, Timothy W.
• Is Part Of: Chemical science. Volume 7:Issue 1(2016:Jan.)
• Page Start: 559
• Page End: 568
• Publication Date: 2015-10-23
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c5sc03215f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2041-6520

Abstract

Abstract : A dual-emitter upconvertor is applied to thin-film solar cells for the first time, generating record figures of merit. Abstract : Photochemical upconversion based on triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA-UC) is employed to enhance the short-circuit currents generated by two varieties of thin-film solar cells, a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cell and a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC). TTA-UC is exploited to harvest transmitted sub-bandgap photons, combine their energies and re-radiate upconverted photons back towards the solar cells. In the present study we employ a dual-emitter TTA-UC system which allows for significantly improved UC quantum yields as compared to the previously used single-emitter TTA systems. In doing so we achieve record photo-current enhancement values for both the a-Si:H device and the DSC, surpassing 10 −3 mA cm −2 sun −2 for the first time for a TTA-UC system and marking a record for upconversion-enhanced solar cells in general. We discuss pertinent challenges of the TTA-UC technology which need to be addressed in order to achieve its viable device application.