Charge dynamics at heterojunctions for PbS/ZnO colloidal quantum dot solar cells probed with time-resolved surface photovoltage spectroscopy

Journal article

Time-resolved laser-pump X-ray-photoemission-probe spectroscopy of a ZnO (101¯0) substrate with and without PbSquantum dots(QDs) chemically linked to the surface is performed, using laser photonenergies resonant with and below the band gapenergy of the substrate (λ = 372 and 640 nm, hν = 3.33 and 1.94 eV). Charge injection from the photoexcitedQDs to ZnO is demonstrated through the change in the surface photovoltage of the ZnO substrate observed when the heterojunction is illuminated with 1.94 eV radiation. The measured carrier dynamics are limited by the persistent photoconductivity of ZnO, giving dark carrier lifetimes of the order of 200 μs in a depletion layer at the interface. The chemical specificity of soft X-rays is used to separately measure the charge dynamics in the quantum dots and the substrate, yielding evidence that the depletion region at the interface extends into the PbSQD layer.

Authors: Assender, H; Watt, A; Leontiadou, M; Clark, P; Silly, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics
• Journal: Applied Physics Letters
• Volume: 108
• Pages: 091603
• Publication date: 2016-03-01
• Acceptance date: 2016-02-18
• DOI: 10.1063/1.4943077
• ISSN: 1077-3118