High performance bulk photovoltaics in narrow-bandgap centrosymmetric ultrathin films

Haoxin Mai; Teng Lu; Qingbo Sun; Robert G. Elliman; Felipe Kremer; The Duong; Kylie Catchpole; Qian Li; Zhiguo Yi; Terry J. Frankcombe; Yun Liu

doi:10.1039/C9MH01744E

High performance bulk photovoltaics in narrow-bandgap centrosymmetric ultrathin films†

Haoxin Mai,

^a Teng Lu,

*^a Qingbo Sun,^a Robert G. Elliman,^b Felipe Kremer,^c The Duong,

^d Kylie Catchpole,^d Qian Li,

^e Zhiguo Yi,

^f Terry J. Frankcombe*^g and Yun Liu*^a

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
E-mail: yun.liu@anu.edu.au

^b Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

^c Centre for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

^d College of Engineering & Computer Science, The University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia

^e Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA

^f State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China

^g School of Physical Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia

Abstract

In conventional bulk photovoltaics (BPVs), it is difficult to acquire both intensive photocurrent and large photovoltage output, which greatly limits the practical application. Here, we report a new strategy that can significantly increase photocurrent by five orders of magnitude whilst retaining the nature of high photovoltage of BPVs by introducing the local-chemistry-induced polar nanoregions (PNRs) into narrow-bandgap centrosymmetric ultrathin films. It is believed that these PNRs distribute randomly in non-ferroelectric insulator matrix and contribute to ferroelectric-like polarization when the sample thickness is comparable to the PNRs sizes. This allows to establish an internal field to effectively separate photogenerated electron–hole pairs even in centrosymmetric materials with narrow bandgap, and thus the power conversion efficiency (PCE) will increase significantly. BiVO₄ (BVO) hereof is exemplified. Through intergrowing polar Bi₄V₂O₁₁ nanoregions into the ultra-thin narrow bandgap BVO film, the PCE increases 1000 times compared with that of the BVO ceramic without taking advantage of the PNRs. This new strategy of producing high PV output in narrow-bandgap semiconductor thin films therefore will extend the candidate pool of bulk PV materials beyond traditional ferroelectricity, providing a pathway for practical application of bulk PV effect. Additionally, the combination of ferroelectric-like feature with a narrow bandgap in one material may create new optoelectronic functions.

Materials Horizons

High performance bulk photovoltaics in narrow-bandgap centrosymmetric ultrathin films†

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