Investigating the Effect of Carbon Nanotube Diameter and Wall Number in Carbon Nanotube/Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

• Published in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 6; no. 3; p. 52
• Main Authors: Grace, Tom, Yu, LePing, Gibson, Christopher, Tune, Daniel, Alturaif, Huda, Al Othman, Zeid, Shapter, Joseph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI 22.03.2016; MDPI AG
• Subjects: carbon nanotube (CNT)/Si heterojunction solar cells; carbon nanotubes; double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT); multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT); solar cells; double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT); carbon nanotube (CNT)/Si heterojunction solar cells; solar cells; carbon nanotubes; multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)
• ISSN: 2079-4991; 2079-4991
• DOI: 10.3390/nano6030052

Suspensions of single-walled, double-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were generated in the same solvent at similar concentrations. Films were fabricated from these suspensions and used in carbon nanotube/silicon heterojunction solar cells and their properties were compared with reference to the number of walls in the nanotube samples. It was found that single-walled nanotubes generally produced more favorable results; however, the double and multi-walled nanotube films used in this study yielded cells with higher open circuit voltages. It was also determined that post fabrication treatments applied to the nanotube films have a lesser effect on multi-walled nanotubes than on the other two types.