Charge transfer characterization of ALD-Grown TiO₂ protective layers in silicon photocathodes
A critical parameter for the implementation of standard high-efficiency photovoltaic absorber materials for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is its proper protection from chemical corrosion while remaining transparent and highly conductive. Atomic layer deposited (ALD) TiO₂ layers fulfill...
| Autores: | , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2017 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| Repositorio: | Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ddd.uab.cat:194887 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://ddd.uab.cat/record/194887 https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1021/acsami.7b02996 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Atomic layer deposition PEC cells Protecting overlayers Silicon Solar hydrogen production Titanium dioxide Water splitting |
| Sumario: | A critical parameter for the implementation of standard high-efficiency photovoltaic absorber materials for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is its proper protection from chemical corrosion while remaining transparent and highly conductive. Atomic layer deposited (ALD) TiO₂ layers fulfill material requirements while conformally protecting the underlying photoabsorber. Nanoscale conductivity of ALD TiO₂ protective layers on silicon based photocathodes has been analyzed, proving that the conduction path is through the columnar crystalline structure of TiO₂. Deposition temperature has been explored from 100 to 300 ºC, and a temperature threshold is found to be mandatory for an efficient charge transfer, as a consequence of layer crystallization between 100 and 200 ºC. Completely crystallized TiO₂ is demonstrated to be mandatory for long term stability, as seen in the 300 h continuous operation test. |
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