Interface engineering of Ta3N5 thin film photoanode for highly efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

TLDR

Interface engineering enhances thin‑film semiconductor solar devices, and Ta₃N₅ thin‑film photoanodes are promising for photoelectrochemical water splitting. The study aims to engineer both the bottom and top interfaces of a Ta₃N₅ thin‑film photoanode. The authors modify the bottom and top interfaces of Ta₃N₅ with n‑type In:GaN and p‑type Mg:GaN layers, respectively, and conduct mechanistic studies to differentiate their effects. The In:GaN/Ta₃N₅/Mg:GaN heterojunction achieves a record‑high applied bias photon‑to‑current efficiency of 3.46 %, with In:GaN enhancing bulk charge separation and Mg:GaN improving surface charge injection, underscoring the importance of interface engineering for efficient PEC water splitting.

Abstract

Interface engineering is a proven strategy to improve the efficiency of thin film semiconductor based solar energy conversion devices. Ta3N5 thin film photoanode is a promising candidate for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Yet, a concerted effort to engineer both the bottom and top interfaces of Ta3N5 thin film photoanode is still lacking. Here, we employ n-type In:GaN and p-type Mg:GaN to modify the bottom and top interfaces of Ta3N5 thin film photoanode, respectively. The obtained In:GaN/Ta3N5/Mg:GaN heterojunction photoanode shows enhanced bulk carrier separation capability and better injection efficiency at photoanode/electrolyte interface, which lead to a record-high applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 3.46% for Ta3N5-based photoanode. Furthermore, the roles of the In:GaN and Mg:GaN layers are distinguished through mechanistic studies. While the In:GaN layer contributes mainly to the enhanced bulk charge separation efficiency, the Mg:GaN layer improves the surface charge inject efficiency. This work demonstrates the crucial role of proper interface engineering for thin film-based photoanode in achieving efficient PEC water splitting.