Vertically aligned p-type single-crystalline GaN nanorod arrays on n-type Si for heterojunction photovoltaic cells

Vertically aligned Mg-doped GaN nanorods have been epitaxially grown on n-type Si substrate to form a heterostructure for fabricating p-n heterojunction photovoltaic cells. The p-type GaN nanorod/n-Si heterojunction cell shows a well-defined rectifying behavior with a rectification ratio larger than 10 ⁴ in dark. The cell has a high short-circuit photocurrent density of 7.6 mA/cm² and energy conversion efficiency of 2.73% under AM 1.5G illumination at 100 mW/cm². Moreover, the nanorod array may be used as an antireflection coating for solar cell applications to effectively reduce light loss due to reflection. This study provides an experimental demonstration for integrating one-dimensional nanostructure arrays with the substrate to directly fabricate heterojunction photovoltaic cells. © 2008 American Chemical Society.