Achieving high efficiency silicon-carbon nanotube heterojunction solar cells by acid doping

Various approaches to improve the efficiency of solar cells have followed the integration of nanomaterials into Si-based photovoltaic devices. Here, we achieve 13.8% efficiency solar cells by combining carbon nanotubes and Si and doping with dilute HNO₃. Acid infiltration of nanotube networks significantly boost the cell efficiency by reducing the internal resistance that improves fill factor and by forming photoelectrochemical units that enhance charge separation and transport. Compared to conventional Si cells, the fabrication process is greatly simplified, simply involving the transfer of a porous semiconductor-rich nanotube film onto an n-type crystalline Si wafer followed by acid infiltration.