Carbon nanotube and CdSe nanobelt Schottky junction solar cells

Developing nanostructure junctions is a general and effective way for making photovoltaics. We report Schottky junction solar cells by coating carbon nanotube films on individual CdSe nanobelts with open-circuit voltages of 0.5 to 0.6 V and modest power-conversion efficiencies (0.45-0.72%) under AM 1.5G, 100 mW/cm(2) light condition. In our planar device structure, the CdSe nanobelt serves as a flat substrate to sustain a network of nanotubes, while the nanotube film forms Shottky junction with the underlying nanobelt at their interface and also makes a transparent electrode for the device. The nanotube-on-nanobelt solar cells can work either in front (nanotube side) or back (nanobelt side) illumination with stable performance in air. Our results demonstrate a promising way to develop large-area solar cells based on thin films of carbon nanotubes and semiconducting nanostructures.