A multi-layered film with a TiO2-based nanotubes/nanoparticles/nanotubes sandwich structure has been developed to increase light-harvesting efficiency by enhancing light scattering. Compared to a double-layered film of nanotubes/nanoparticles, the sandwiched film exhibited greatly improved light-absorption properties. An obviously improved total energy-conversion efficiency of 6.11% was obtained in the sandwiched film, which is 27.3, 46.1 and 213% higher than those of the double-layered film, nanoparticle film and nanotube film, respectively. A possible mechanism for the enhancement of light harvesting in the sandwiched film is proposed, whereby the observed enhancement is owing to effective scattering by the bottom layer and reflection of escaped light by the top layer.
Inspec keywords: reflection; nanotubes; nanoparticles; titanium compounds; nanofabrication; solar cells; wide band gap semiconductors; sandwich structures; multilayers
Other keywords:
Subjects: Solar cells and arrays; Low-dimensional structures: growth, structure and nonelectronic properties; Methods of nanofabrication and processing; Optical properties of other inorganic semiconductors and insulators (thin films, low-dimensional and nanoscale structures); Structure of solid clusters, nanoparticles, nanotubes and nanostructured materials; Oxide and ferrite semiconductors; Photoelectric conversion; solar cells and arrays
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