Geunjin Kim

Efficient planar-heterojunction perovskite solar cells achieved via interfacial modification of a sol–gel ZnO electron collection layer

The importance of interfacial engineering as a new strategy for improving the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of planar-heterojunction (PHJ) perovskite solar cells is highlighted in this study. With our optimized interfacial modification, we demonstrated efficient PHJ perovskite solar cells with a high PCE of 12.2% using a sol–gel-processed ZnO ECL modified by [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM).

Polymer-metal hybrid transparent electrodes for flexible electronics.

Despite nearly two decades of research, the absence of ideal flexible and transparent electrodes has been the largest obstacle in realizing flexible and printable electronics for future technologies. Here we report the fabrication of ‘polymer-metal hybrid electrodes’ with high-performance properties, including a bending radius <1 mm, a visible-range transmittance>95% and a sheet resistance <10 Ω sq−1. These features arise from a surface modification of the plastic substrates using an amine-containing nonconjugated polyelectrolyte, which provides ideal metal-nucleation sites with a surface-density on the atomic scale, in combination with the successive deposition of a facile anti-reflective coating using a conducting polymer. The hybrid electrodes are fully functional as universal electrodes for high-end flexible electronic applications, such as polymer solar cells that exhibit a high power conversion efficiency of 10% and polymer light-emitting diodes that can outperform those based on transparent conducting oxides.

Bulk-Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells: Five Core Technologies for Their Commercialization.

The past two decades of vigorous interdisciplinary approaches has seen tremendous breakthroughs in both scientific and technological developments of bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs) based on nanocomposites of π-conjugated organic semiconductors. Because of their unique functionalities, the OSC field is expected to enable innovative photovoltaic applications that can be difficult to achieve using traditional inorganic solar cells: OSCs are printable, portable, wearable, disposable, biocompatible, and attachable to curved surfaces. The ultimate objective of this field is to develop cost-effective, stable, and high-performance photovoltaic modules fabricated on large-area flexible plastic substrates via high-volume/throughput roll-to-roll printing processing and thus achieve the practical implementation of OSCs. Recently, intensive research efforts into the development of organic materials, processing techniques, interface engineering, and device architectures have led to a remarkable improvement in power conversion efficiencies, exceeding 11%, which has finally brought OSCs close to commercialization. Current research interests are expanding from academic to industrial viewpoints to improve device stability and compatibility with large-scale printing processes, which must be addressed to realize viable applications. Here, both academic and industrial issues are reviewed by highlighting historically monumental research results and recent state-of-the-art progress in OSCs. Moreover, perspectives on five core technologies that affect the realization of the practical use of OSCs are presented, including device efficiency, device stability, flexible and transparent electrodes, module designs, and printing techniques.

Achieving long-term stable perovskite solar cells via ion neutralization

Despite recent reports of high power conversion efficiency (PCE) values of over 20%, the instability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has been considered the most serious obstacle toward their commercialization. By rigorously exploring the self-degradation process of planar-type PSCs using typical metal electrodes (Ag or Al), we found that the corrosion of the metal electrodes by inherent ionic defects in the perovskite layers is a major origin of intrinsic device degradation even under inert conditions. In this work, we have developed a new concept of a chemical inhibition in PSCs using amine-mediated metal oxide systems and succeeded in chemically neutralizing mobile ionic defects through mutual ionic interaction. As a consequence, we realized planar-type PSCs with long-term stability that maintain nearly 80% of their initial PCEs even after 1 year (9000 h) of storage under nitrogen and 80% of their initial PCEs after 200 h in ambient conditions without any encapsulation.

Light-soaking issue in polymer solar cells: Photoinduced energy level alignment at the sol-gel processed metal oxide and indium tin oxide interface

We report the origin of the strong UV-irradiation dependence, generally known as a “light-soaking” process, in inverted polymer solar cells (I-PSCs) using the interface of an sol-gel processed titanium sub-oxide (TiOx) and indium tin oxide (ITO) cathode. When I-PSCs incorporating TiOx as an electron-selecting layer were fabricated, the as-prepared devices exhibited an anomalous J-V curve with a kink shape, resulting in an extremely low efficiency. However, the kink shape disappeared after white light irradiation for considerable duration, after which the device parameters recovered the normal values expected for this class of devices. By using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and by measuring the contact potential difference and transient photoconductivity of the TiOx layer, we found that the light-soaking process in I-PSCs originates from the photoinduced “rearrangement of the Fermi levels” at the sol-gel processed TiOx and ITO cathode interface together with trap sites existing in the TiOx layer. ...

Simplified Tandem Polymer Solar Cells with an Ideal Self‐Organized Recombination Layer

A new tandem architecture for printable photovoltaics using a versatile organic nanocomposite containing photoactive and interfacial materials is demonstrated. The nanocomposite forms an ideal self-organized recombination layer via a spontaneous vertical phase separation, which yields a simplified tandem structure fabricated with only four component layers and a high tandem efficiency of 10.8%.

Enhancement in the photodetection of ZnO nanowires by introducing surface-roughness-induced traps

We investigated the enhanced photoresponse of ZnO nanowire transistors that was introduced with surface-roughness-induced traps by a simple chemical treatment with isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The enhanced photoresponse of IPA-treated ZnO nanowire devices is attributed to an increase in adsorbed oxygen on IPA-induced surface traps. The results of this study revealed that IPA-treated ZnO nanowire devices displayed higher photocurrent gains and faster photoswitching speed than transistors containing unmodified ZnO nanowires. Thus, chemical treatment with IPA can be a useful method for improving the photoresponse of ZnO nanowire devices.

A series connection architecture for large-area organic photovoltaic modules with a 7.5% module efficiency

The fabrication of organic photovoltaic modules via printing techniques has been the greatest challenge for their commercial manufacture. Current module architecture, which is based on a monolithic geometry consisting of serially interconnecting stripe-patterned subcells with finite widths, requires highly sophisticated patterning processes that significantly increase the complexity of printing production lines and cause serious reductions in module efficiency due to so-called aperture loss in series connection regions. Herein we demonstrate an innovative module structure that can simultaneously reduce both patterning processes and aperture loss. By using a charge recombination feature that occurs at contacts between electron- and hole-transport layers, we devise a series connection method that facilitates module fabrication without patterning the charge transport layers. With the successive deposition of component layers using slot-die and doctor-blade printing techniques, we achieve a high module efficiency reaching 7.5% with area of 4.15 cm2.

High‐Performance Integrated Perovskite and Organic Solar Cells with Enhanced Fill Factors and Near‐Infrared Harvesting

Highly efficient P-I-N type perovskite/bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) integrated solar cells (ISCs) with enhanced fill factor (FF) (≈80%) and high near-infrared harvesting (>30%) are demonstrated by optimizing the BHJ morphology with a novel n-type polymer, N2200, and a new solvent-processing additive. This work proves the feasibility of highly efficient ISCs with panchromatic absorption as a new photovoltaic architecture and provides important design rules for optimizing ISCs.

Achieving Large‐Area Planar Perovskite Solar Cells by Introducing an Interfacial Compatibilizer

Despite the recent unprecedented increase in the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of small-area devices (≤0.1 cm2 ), the PCEs deteriorate drastically for PSCs of larger areas because of the incomplete film coverage caused by the dewetting of the hydrophilic perovskite precursor solutions on the hydrophobic organic charge-transport layers (CTLs). Here, an innovative method of fabricating scalable PSCs on all types of organic CTLs is reported. By introducing an amphiphilic conjugated polyelectrolyte as an interfacial compatibilizer, fabricating uniform perovskite films on large-area substrates (18.4 cm2 ) and PSCs with the total active area of 6 cm2 (1 cm2 × 6 unit cells) via a single-turn solution process is successfully demonstrated. All of the unit cells exhibit highly uniform PCEs of 16.1 ± 0.9% (best PCE of 17%), which is the highest value for printable PSCs with a total active area larger than 1 cm2 .