Photosensitive solid state heterojunction device
AssigneeIsis Innovation Limited
InventorsHenry Snaith, Pablo Docampo
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Abstract
The invention provides a solid-state p-n heterojunction comprising an organic p-type material in contact with an n-type material wherein said heterojunction is sensitised by at least one sensitizing agent, characterised in that the device comprises a cathode separated from said n-type material by a porous barrier layer of at least one insulating material. Also provided are opto-electronic devices such as solar cells or photo-sensors comprising such a p-n heterojunction, and methods for the manufacture of such a heterojunction or device.
Claims44
A solid-state p-n heterojunction comprising an organic p-type material in contact with an n-type material, and a cathode separated from said n-type material by a porous barrier layer of at least one insulating material.
A method of using a porous barrier layer in a solid-state p-n heterojunction, wherein said porous barrier layer reduces the light-induced drop in shunt resistance in a solid-state p-n heterojunction under anaerobic conditions.
A method of preparing a solid-state p-n heterojunction comprising a cathode separated from said n-type material by a porous barrier layer of at least one insulating material, said method comprising:
- a) coating an anode with a compact layer of an n-type semiconductor material;
- b) forming a porous layer of an n-type semiconductor material on said compact layer,
- c) surface sensitizing said compact layer and/or said porous layer of n-type semiconductor material with at least one sensitizing agent;
- d) forming a porous barrier layer of an insulating material on said porous layer of n-type semiconductor material;
- e) forming a layer of a solid state p-type semiconductor material in contact with said porous layer of n-type semiconductor material and penetrating said porous barrier layer;
- and
- forming a cathode on said porous barrier layer, in contact with said p-type semiconductor material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.