Advanced Functional Materials and Devices (AFMD) Group

Abstract:

The aim of this article is to investigate the origin of the open circuit voltage (Voc) in organic heterojunction solar cells. The studied devices consist of buckminsterfullerene C60 as acceptor material and an oligophenyl-derivative 4, 4′ -bis-(N,N -diphenylamino)quaterphenyl (4P-TPD) as donor material. These photoactive materials are sandwiched between indium tin oxide and p -doped hole transport layers. Using two different p -doped hole transport layers, the built-in voltage of the solar cells is independently changed from the metal contacts. The influence of the built-in voltage on the Voc is investigated in bulk and planar heterojunctions. In bulk heterojunctions, in which doped transport layers border directly on the photoactive blend layer, Voc cannot exceed the built-in voltage significantly. Though, in planar heterojunctions, Voc is identical with the splitting of quasi-Fermi levels at the donor-acceptor interface and is thus primarily determined by the difference of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of C60 and the highest occupied molecular orbital of 4P-TPD. In planar heterojunctions, the open circuit voltage can exceed the built-in voltage. Furthermore, the investigations show that the efficiency of organic solar cells can be improved by using p -doped charge transport layers with optimized energy level alignment to the active materials. The optimized planar heterojunction shows a fill factor of up to 65.5% and a Voc of 0.95 V. For solar cells with insufficient energy level alignment between the photoactive layer system and the hole transport layer, a reduced Voc in bulk heterojunction cells and a characteristic S shape of the I-V characteristics in planar heterojunction cells are observed. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Abstract:

The implementation of proper charge carrier transport materials in p-i-n type organic solar cells strongly influences the device performance. Our investigation focuses on the substitution of the standard layer sequence used at the side of electron transport, usually consisting of either C60 /exciton blocking layer/metal or n -C60 /metal by a layer sequence including a window layer. Here, we evaluate the transparent electron transport material 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA), which guarantees a loss free charge extraction from the active materials due to a good energy level alignment as well as exciton blocking due to its wide bandgap. It is demonstrated that upon the exchange of the electron transport layer n -C60 for n -NTCDA, the solar power conversion efficiency of a p-i-n device can be increased by 10%. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Abstract:

We report on a series of organic solar cells based on heterojunetions of oligothiophene derivatives with varying chain length and C60 fullerenes. Devices arc based on cither p-i-n or p-i-i structure. In the first the intrinsic photovoltaic active layer is sandwiched between a p-typc and n-typc doped organic wide-gap layer for hole and electron transport respectively. In the latter the electron transport layer is replaced by a thin layer of wide-gap material as exciton blocker. Through optimization of transport and absorber layers we are able to reach in devices with single heterojunetions an open circuit voltage Voc of about 1V, a short circuit current density Jsc of about 5.6mA/cm2 and a fill factor FF above 50% under an AM1.5 illumination with 1000W/m2. However, still only a small part of the available solar spectrum is used. Thus, based on these materials stacked solar cells have been made to further improve the light absorption. The thickness of each layer is optimized using optical simulations to match the currents delivered by each of the solar cells in the stack. Through the incorporation of a very efficient recombination zone between the stacked solar cells the resulting Voc nearly reaches the sum of the V oc of the two serially connected solar cells.

Abstract:

Alternatives for replacing the expensive ITO are explored and Poly(ethylene dioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is introduced as one possibility. We present the first small-molecule organic solar cells employing only PEDOT:PSS as transparent electrode. Solar cells on glass and on flexible plastic foil were prepared, using a p-doped hole transporting material, zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and C60 as donor-acceptor hctcrojunction, and an exciton blocking layer. Different methods to structure the PEDOT:PSS electrodes were investigated and are presented. As proof of principle, non-optimized prototype cells with efficiencies of over 0.7% on glass and 0.9% on flexible plastic foil substrate were obtained.

Abstract:

The transparent electron transport material NTCDA (1,4,5,8- naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride) was examined in order to find a suitable substitute for C60 which is today often used in small molecular organic solar cells as transport layer. Due to its wide band gap, NTCDA does not absorb in the visible range and is furthermore exciton blocking. By doping with AOB (acridine orange base), its conductivity was raised to about 1 · 10_4S/cm. It can therefore simultaneously be used as electron transport material and optical spacer in p-i-n type solar cells, leading to power conversion efficiencies of up to 2.83%. Additionally, an investigation of the surface morphology using AFM was performed.