ENHANCEMENT OF POWER CONVERSION EFFICIENCY OF DYESENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS VIA INCORPORATION OF GAN SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL SYNTHESIZED IN HOT-WALL CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION FURNACE

Abstract

This study discusses the results of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition synthesis of GaN on sapphire and silicon substrates using specific parameters: a forward output voltage of 150 watts, a N2 gas flow rate of 60 standard cubic centimeters per minute, a chamber pressure of 2.48 mmHg, and a synthesis time of 2hours. Characterization by scanning electron microscope, Raman and energy dispersive X-ray revealed the nonstoichiometric formation of GaN, with Ga clearly predominating in the composition. scanning electron microscope analysis of the substrate surface morphology revealed the presence of small islands, which are considered to be the first step in the chemical vapor deposition process. The research also examined the effects of incorporating GaN into the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells. The study investigated the optimal amount of GaN powder in the TiO2 matrix. The initial experiments used commercial GaN powder to determine the optimal weight percentage. Four different weight percentages (wt%) 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30wt % and 40 wt% GaN were selected for the study. Among them, the 20 wt% GaN had the highest power conversion efficiency of 0.75%. The fill factor values showed a tendency to decrease as the weight fraction of GaN increased.