Fabrication of transparent ZnO/(CuZn)O heterojunction solar cells by electrochemical deposition

Abstract

Transparent (CuZn)O thin films were fabricated via electrochemical deposition at room temperature from an aqueous solution containing Zn(NO _3 ) _2 and Cu(NO _3 ) _2 , and properties of the films were studied before and after annealing at 400 °C in air. According to x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results, copper was in the Cu ^1+ oxidation state. All the samples before and after the annealing were found to be amorphous by x-ray diffraction, and p-type conductivity was found by photoelectrochemical characterizations. Transparent p-n heterojunction ZnO/(CuZn)O was fabricated by depositing ZnO on as-deposited and annealed (CuZn)O. For both as-deposited and annealed (CuZn)O, rectifying characteristics and photovoltaic effects were observed.

Keywords

• (CuZn)O
• solar cell
• electrochemical deposition
• transparent conducting oxide
• heterostructure