Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 1807.07292

Low Temperature Combustion Synthesis of a Spinel NiCo2O4 Hole Transport Layer for Perovskite Photovoltaics

Abstract

In the present study, we report the synthesis and characterization of a low-temperature solution-processable monodispersed nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4) nanoparticles via a combustion synthesis using tartaric acid as fuel and demonstrate its performance as hole transport layer (HTL) for Perovskite Solar Cells (PVSCs). NiCo2O4 is a p-type semiconductor consisting of environmentally friendly, abundant elements and higher conductivity compared to NiO. We show that the combustion synthesis of spinel NiCo2O4 using tartaric acid as fuel can be used to control the NPs size and provide smooth, compact and homogeneous functional HTLs processed by blade coating. Study of PVSCs with different NiCo2O4 thickness as HTL reveal a difference on hole extraction efficiency and for 15 nm optimized thickness enhanced hole carrier collection is achieved. As a result, p-i-n structure of PVSCs with 15 nm NiCo2O4 HTLs showed reliable performance and power conversion efficiency values in the range of 15.5 % with negligible hysteresis.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Ioannis T. Papadas, Apostolos Ioakeimidis, Gerasimos S. Armatas, Stelios A. Choulis. 2018-07-19. Low Temperature Combustion Synthesis of a Spinel NiCo2O4 Hole Transport Layer for Perovskite Photovoltaics. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.201701029

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

RCS angular control with gradient metasurfaces: design and measurement

This letter proposes the design and measurement of a periodic metasurface that achieves anomalous reflection with reduced RCS in a given parasitic direction. A previous study proposed a semi-analytical model to predict the RCS behavior of such a metasurface. However, this first study did not include any experimental exploration to verify the theoretical results. To complete this study, this work presents an experimental validation of the proposed design, with a focus on manufacturing and measurement issues. The synthesis, design specifications, fabrication method and experimental setup are presented and discussed. Measurement results are also examined in detail, highlighting some limitations in metasurfaces RCS measurements. The proposed metasurface effectively achieves the predicted RCS level reduction in the considered parasitic direction. The agreement between simulation and experimental results demonstrates the accuracy of the modelling and the efficiency of the optimisation procedure.

physics.app-ph

Maximum-Power-Transfer Power Coordinates for Fully Coupled Multiport Thévenin Sources

A power-normalized scattering representation is developed at a fixed frequency for a passive linear time-invariant multiport load driven by a fully coupled multiport Thévenin source. The source is obtained by reducing, at the load reference planes, an independent-source network whose suppressed internal impedance is passive, together with an intervening passive matching network. No diagonal-reference, uncoupled-source-channel, reciprocity, or commutation assumption is required. With $R_s=\mathrm{Herm}\{Z_s\}\succ\mathbf{0}$, completing the square in accepted power identifies the available-power current and motivates the coordinates $\mathbf{a}=\frac12R_s^{-1/2}(\mathbf{V}+Z_s\mathbf{I})$, $\mathbf{b}=\frac12R_s^{-1/2}(\mathbf{V}-Z_s^H\mathbf{I})$. They satisfy $\|\mathbf{a}\|_2^2-\|\mathbf{b}\|_2^2=\Re\{\mathbf{I}^H\mathbf{V}\}$ and yield $\mathbf{S}=R_s^{-1/2}(Z_{load}-Z_s^H)(Z_{load}+Z_s)^{-1}R_s^{1/2}$. An exact operator identity establishes passivity--contractivity equivalence and gives excitation-specific, reachable-subspace, and complete conjugate-matching conditions. On the physically reachable incident subspace, singular values characterize the best- and worst-case source-normalized port-reflection TARC, while a restricted Frobenius norm gives the basis-averaged squared TARC. Equal-magnitude phase-only control is formulated separately as a constant-modulus problem, with generator-side constraints mapped through the coupled source network before power normalization. For antenna loads and excitations with $P_{acc}>0$, $P_{rad}/P_{av}=η_{rad}(1-\mathrm{TARC}^2)$, so terminal scattering data alone do not determine radiation efficiency. When $R_s$ is singular, finite available power exists exactly for $\mathbf{E}\in\mathrm{range}(R_s)$, and the construction applies on the positive-resistance support.

physics.app-ph

Bimorph Lithium Niobate Thickness-Shear Overtone Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator

High quality factor ($Q$) and overtone operation enable narrow-linewidth acoustic devices with multiple discrete frequencies in a single cavity. Maintaining both high $Q$ and sufficient electromechanical coupling at higher mode orders remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate a bimorph periodically poled piezoelectric film (P3F) lithium niobate (LN) platform for high-order thickness-shear (TS) overtone excitation. The device comprises a bonded 80-$μ$m-thick single-crystal X-cut LN bimorph with opposite polarizations, patterned top and floating bottom electrodes, and a suspended air cavity. The P3F configuration mitigates charge cancellation from the alternating stress distribution of higher-order TS modes, enabling measurable coupling across a broad sequence of overtones. The thick LN acoustic cavity and increasingly confined high-order mode profiles support low-loss operation. Measured TS overtones extend to 1.75 GHz. At room temperature, representative overtones at 0.77 and 0.89 GHz exhibit 3-dB $Q$ values of 11,338 and 11,917, corresponding to $fQ$ products of $8.74\times10^{12}$ and $1.06\times10^{13}$ Hz, respectively. Cooling from 297 to 12 K systematically enhances $Q$, yielding a peak 3-dB $Q$ of 20,507 at 779 MHz and a maximum $fQ$ product of $1.98\times10^{13}$ Hz at 1.379 GHz. These results establish bimorph P3F LN as a promising platform for high-$Q$, frequency-scalable micro-acoustic resonators in the sub-GHz and low-GHz regimes.

physics.app-ph