Photonic curing of nanocrystal films for photovoltaics
AssigneeBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsBrian A. Korgel, Taylor B. Harvey, Carl Jackson Stolle, Vahid Akhavan
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Abstract
Methods of making a semiconductor layer from nanocrystals are disclosed. A film of nanocrystals capped with a ligand can be deposited onto a substrate; and the nanocrystals can be irradiated with one or more pulses of light. The pulsed light can be used to substantially remove the ligands from the nanocrystals and leave the nanocrystals unsintered or sintered, thereby providing a semiconductor layer. Layered structures comprising these semiconductor layers with an electrode are also disclosed. Devices comprising such layered structures are also disclosed.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- preparing nanocrystals capped with a ligand, wherein the ligand is an organic ligand;
- removing the ligand by exchanging the organic ligand with an inorganic ligand;
- depositing a film of the nanocrystals onto a substrate;
- and
- irradiating the nanocrystals with one or more pulses of light to sinter the nanocrystals without melting and form the nanocrystals into a semiconductor layer substantially free of the organic ligand, wherein irradiating the nanocrystals with one or more pulses of light includes incorporating the inorganic ligand into the semiconductor layer, and wherein the semiconductor layer is a photovoltaic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.