Photovoltaic cells fabricated by electrophoretic deposition of CdSe nanocrystals

Abstract

Electrophoretic deposition was used to deposit CdSe nanocrystals on TiO2 for use in photovoltaic cells. The deposition current underwent a simple exponential decay, consistent with the current being comprised of charge transfer from charged nanocrystals to the electrodes. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy showed the composition of the deposited films depended on the polarity of the electrode on which the film formed. A solar cell constructed using electrophoretic deposition exhibited a photovoltaic response from the region in which nanocrystals were deposited, with an efficiency of ∼10−6%. The low efficiency was primarily due to the planar geometry employed for the TiO2 subsrate.