TY - JOUR
T1 - Photoelectrochemical behavior of n-type Si(100) electrodes coated with thin films of manganese oxide grown by atomic layer deposition
AU - Strandwitz, Nicholas C.
AU - Comstock, David J.
AU - Grimm, Ronald L.
AU - Nichols-Nielander, Adam C.
AU - Elam, Jeffrey
AU - Lewis, Nathan S.
PY - 2013/3/14
Y1 - 2013/3/14
N2 - Thin (10 nm) films of manganese oxide have been deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto n-type silicon and onto degenerately doped p-type silicon. The photoelectrochemical properties of the resulting semiconductor/metal-oxide structures were evaluated in contact with aqueous 0.35 M K4Fe(CN) 6-0.05 M K3Fe(CN)6, 1.0 M KOH(aq), as well as in contact with a series of nonaqueous one-electron, reversible, outer-sphere redox systems. Under simulated air mass (AM) 1.5 illumination in contact with 0.35 M K4Fe(CN)6-0.05 M K3Fe(CN) 6(aq), MnO-coated n-Si photoanodes displayed open-circuit voltages of up to 550 mV and stable anodic currents for periods of hours at 0.0 V versus the solution potential. In contact with 1.0 M KOH(aq), at current densities of ∼25 mA cm-2, MnO|Si photoanodes under 100 mW cm-2 of simulated AM 1.5 illumination yielded stable oxygen evolution for 10-30 min. Variation in the thickness of the MnO films from 4 to 20 nm indicated the presence of a series resistance in the MnO film that limited the fill factor and thus the solar energy-conversion efficiency of the photoelectrodes. Open-circuit photovoltages of 30 and 450 mV, respectively, were observed in contact with cobaltocene+/0 or ferrocene+/0 in CH 3CN, indicating that the energetics of the MnO-coated Si surfaces were a function of the electrochemical potential of the contacting electrolyte solution.
AB - Thin (10 nm) films of manganese oxide have been deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto n-type silicon and onto degenerately doped p-type silicon. The photoelectrochemical properties of the resulting semiconductor/metal-oxide structures were evaluated in contact with aqueous 0.35 M K4Fe(CN) 6-0.05 M K3Fe(CN)6, 1.0 M KOH(aq), as well as in contact with a series of nonaqueous one-electron, reversible, outer-sphere redox systems. Under simulated air mass (AM) 1.5 illumination in contact with 0.35 M K4Fe(CN)6-0.05 M K3Fe(CN) 6(aq), MnO-coated n-Si photoanodes displayed open-circuit voltages of up to 550 mV and stable anodic currents for periods of hours at 0.0 V versus the solution potential. In contact with 1.0 M KOH(aq), at current densities of ∼25 mA cm-2, MnO|Si photoanodes under 100 mW cm-2 of simulated AM 1.5 illumination yielded stable oxygen evolution for 10-30 min. Variation in the thickness of the MnO films from 4 to 20 nm indicated the presence of a series resistance in the MnO film that limited the fill factor and thus the solar energy-conversion efficiency of the photoelectrodes. Open-circuit photovoltages of 30 and 450 mV, respectively, were observed in contact with cobaltocene+/0 or ferrocene+/0 in CH 3CN, indicating that the energetics of the MnO-coated Si surfaces were a function of the electrochemical potential of the contacting electrolyte solution.
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U2 - 10.1021/jp311207x
DO - 10.1021/jp311207x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84875180625
VL - 117
SP - 4931
EP - 4936
JO - Journal of Physical Chemistry C
JF - Journal of Physical Chemistry C
SN - 1932-7447
IS - 10
ER -