Fabrication methodology for nanostructured hybrid organic/inorganic photovoltaic devices formed with alternating sacrificial spacers in a nested nanotube configuration

An active area of research in the field of photovoltaics that strives to significantly improve energy conversion efficiencies involves the exploration and manipulation of device physical structures. With knowledge gleaned from the fabrication of standard planar organic solar cells, our group has developed a technique for creating nanoscale nested structures capable of accommodating organic photoactive material that serves as a light-absorbing layer. The technique employs highly-ordered macroporous silicon templates that are used as the supporting structure and bottom contact for concentrically-nested metal oxide cylinders.