Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

P-N junction

P-N junction

A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...

Schottky Barrier Diode

Schottky Barrier Diode

Schottky barrier diodes are specialized semiconductor devices characterized by their unique construction. This construction involves combining a metal layer with a moderately doped n-type semiconductor material. This combination leads to the formation of a Schottky barrier, a pivotal element that defines the diode's operational characteristics. The core functionality of Schottky barrier diodes is their capacity to allow current to flow in only one direction due to their distinctive...

Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

Biasing metal-semiconductor junctions involves applying a voltage across the junction. Specifically, the metal is connected to a voltage source, while the semiconductor is grounded. This technique is essential for controlling the direction and magnitude of current flow in electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, and photovoltaic cells.
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...

Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

The contact of metal and semiconductor can lead to the formation of a junction with either Schottky or Ohmic behavior.
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The semiconductor's...

Junction Potentials in Galvanic Cells

Junction Potentials in Galvanic Cells

The Nernst equation, derived under the assumption of thermodynamic equilibrium, calculates the electromotive force (emf) as the sum of potential differences at phase boundaries in a reversible cell without a liquid junction. However, in irreversible cells such as the Daniell cell, an additional potential difference named the liquid-junction potential (EJ) arises across the interface of two electrolyte solutions due to different ion diffusion rates. This EJ represents the potential difference...

Voltaic/Galvanic Cells

Voltaic/Galvanic Cells

Spontaneous Chemical Reactions
Spontaneous redox reactions occur abundantly in nature. The chemical reaction occurring in a disposable AA battery powering our remote controls is one such example of a spontaneous redox reaction. Another example is the immersion of coiled copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. The reaction shows a gradual, visually impressive color change from colorless to bright blue and the formation of a grey precipitate on the copper wire. In this experiment,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

On Field-Effect Photovoltaics: Gate Enhancement of the Power Conversion Efficiency in a Nanotube/Silicon-Nanowire Solar Cell.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2015

Same author

Antidiabetic Effect of Salvianolic Acid A on Diabetic Animal Models via AMPK Activation and Mitochondrial Regulation.

Cellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology·2015

Same author

Tissue structure and inflammatory processes shape viscoelastic properties of the mouse brain.

NMR in biomedicine·2015

Same author

[Study on the psychological health condition among junior and senior high school students in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou].

Wei sheng yan jiu = Journal of hygiene research·2015

Same author

A novel two-dimensional cadmium(II) complex: poly[diaquatris(μ4-cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylato)bis[2-(pyridin-4-yl)-1H-benzimidazole]tricadmium(II).

Acta crystallographica. Section C, Structural chemistry·2015

Same author

Identification of seven novel virulence genes from Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri by Tn5-based random mutagenesis.

Journal of microbiology (Seoul, Korea)·2015

Same journal

Higher-Order Clustering of Receptors Real-Time Projected by Plasmon-ruler on the Single Live Cell.

Nano letters·2026

Same journal

Achieving Fermi-Level Depinning and Ideal Metal Contact in <i>β</i>-Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Devices via MXene Integration.

Nano letters·2026

Same journal

AI-Assisted Electron Microscopy in Structure-Performance Analysis of Advanced Catalysts: From Atomic Resolution to Statistical Significance.

Nano letters·2026

Same journal

Electrically Switchable Ultraslow Dispersionless Polaritons via Twist Engineering in van der Waals Heterostructures.

Nano letters·2026

Same journal

Correction to "Ultrasonication-Triggered Ubiquitous Assembly of Magnetic Janus Amphiphilic Nanoparticles in Cancer Theranostic Applications".

Nano letters·2026

Same journal

Tunable Proximity Valley Splitting Via Interfacial Exchange Pinning in WSe<sub>2</sub>-CrBr<sub>3</sub>-CrPS<sub>4</sub> Heterostructures.

Nano letters·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Influence of Hybrid Perovskite Fabrication Methods on Film Formation, Electronic Structure, and Solar Cell Performance

Influence of Hybrid Perovskite Fabrication Methods on Film Formation, Electronic Structure, and Solar Cell Performance

Published on: February 27, 2017

Electrolyte-induced inversion layer Schottky junction solar cells.

Pooja Wadhwa¹, Gyungseon Seol, Maureen K Petterson

¹Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States.

|May 24, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A novel crystalline silicon solar cell utilizes a liquid electrolyte to create an inversion layer for hole extraction. This new design achieves a 12% power conversion efficiency, surpassing dye-sensitized solar cells.

More Related Videos

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

Published on: November 16, 2018

Fabrication of Schottky Diodes on Zn-polar BeMgZnO/ZnO Heterostructure Grown by Plasma-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Fabrication of Schottky Diodes on Zn-polar BeMgZnO/ZnO Heterostructure Grown by Plasma-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Published on: October 23, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Influence of Hybrid Perovskite Fabrication Methods on Film Formation, Electronic Structure, and Solar Cell Performance

Influence of Hybrid Perovskite Fabrication Methods on Film Formation, Electronic Structure, and Solar Cell Performance

Published on: February 27, 2017

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

Published on: November 16, 2018

Fabrication of Schottky Diodes on Zn-polar BeMgZnO/ZnO Heterostructure Grown by Plasma-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Fabrication of Schottky Diodes on Zn-polar BeMgZnO/ZnO Heterostructure Grown by Plasma-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Published on: October 23, 2018

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Electrochemistry
Photovoltaics

Background:

Conventional solar cells face efficiency limitations.
Photoelectrochemical cells offer an alternative but often rely on complex redox couples.
Developing efficient and simpler solar cell architectures is crucial for renewable energy.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a new crystalline silicon solar cell design.
To investigate the charge transport mechanism in an electrolyte-induced inversion layer.
To evaluate the power conversion efficiency of this novel solar cell.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of a crystalline silicon solar cell with a liquid electrolyte and carbon nanotube grid lines.
Utilizing modeling and simulation to understand device electrostatics and inversion layer formation.
Employing electronic gating to enhance cell performance.

Main Results:

A depletion (inversion) layer is formed in the n-type silicon wafer by the liquid electrolyte.
Holes are efficiently extracted via diffusion along the inversion layer to widely spaced carbon nanotube grid lines.
The solar cell achieved a power conversion efficiency of 12% with electronic gating.

Conclusions:

The described solar cell design offers a promising alternative to existing photovoltaic technologies.
The electrolyte-induced inversion layer and carbon nanotube electrodes are key to the device's functionality.
This technology demonstrates potential for exceeding the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells.