Probing the photovoltaic properties of Ga-doped CdS–Cu2S core–shell heterostructured nanowire devices

Abstract

In this study Ga-doped cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires (NWs) were grown through chemical vapor deposition. The carrier conductivities of the CdS NWs improved after the incorporation of Ga; moreover, the conductivities of the CdS NWs increased upon increasing the amount of the Ga source. Using a cation exchange method, these CdS NWs served as the source material for the preparation of Cu₂S–CdS p–n heterostructured NWs. The short-circuit current, open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and power conversion efficiency of the best-performing Cu₂S–CdS NW photovoltaic device were 0.152 nA, 0.245 V, 44.5%, and 0.405%, respectively, when illuminated under AM 1.5 solar light. This study demonstrates the possibility of modulating not only the properties of CdS NWs through the incorporation of dopant Ga atoms but also the photovoltaic properties of Cu₂S–CdS p–n heterostructured NW devices, paving the way for the exploitation of nanostructures within optoelectronics.