DataVXACS Applied Energy MaterialsPaper
journal article·2024-02-12Open access

Low Electron Affinity Silicon/Nanocrystalline Diamond Heterostructures for Photon-Enhanced Thermionic Emission

Raffaella Salerno, Veronica Valentini, Eleonora Bolli, Matteo Mastellone, Valerio Serpente, Alessio Mezzi, Luca Tortora, Elisabetta Colantoni, Alessandro Bellucci, Riccardo Polini, Daniele M. Trucchi

ACS Applied Energy Materials· Volume 7· Issue 3
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Source abstract

Abstract

Photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE) is a physical mechanism based on the electron’s emission from photon absorption and thermalization, which can be highly efficient to convert concentrated sunlight. Here, we demonstrate that nanocrystalline diamond thin films deposited on heavily doped p-type silicon absorbers can be potentially efficient PETE cathodes, showing a low χ value of ∼0.4 eV. A detailed analysis has been carried out as a function of the film thickness by correlating the PETE performance under concentrated sunlight with several chemical–physical measurements. The results highlight that grain boundaries are decisive to achieve the highest emission current density obtained with an 80 nm-thick emitter.
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Research context

Energy storageNanomaterials

OpenAlex topics: Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research · Carbon Nanotubes in Composites · Laser-Ablation Synthesis of Nanoparticles

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma, Italy

Istituto di Struttura della Materia - Sede Secondaria di Montelibretti, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISM-CNR), DiaTHEMA Lab, Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo Stazione, 00015 Roma, Italy

Istituto per lo studio dei materiali nanostrutturati, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMN-CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo Stazione, 00015 Roma, Italy

Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi RomaTre, via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy

Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) sezione Roma Tre, via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy

Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università degli Studi RomaTre, via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy

Funding

Next Generation EU - Italian NRRP

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