Sean E. Shaheen

2.5% efficient organic plastic solar cells

We show that the power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices based on a conjugated polymer/methanofullerene blend is dramatically affected by molecular morphology. By structuring the blend to be a more intimate mixture that contains less phase segregation of methanofullerenes, and simultaneously increasing the degree of interactions between conjugated polymer chains, we have fabricated a device with a power conversion efficiency of 2.5% under AM1.5 illumination. This is a nearly threefold enhancement over previously reported values for such a device, and it approaches what is needed for the practical use of these devices for harvesting energy from sunlight.

Effect of LiF/metal electrodes on the performance of plastic solar cells

The insertion of thin interlayers of LiF under the negative metal electrode (Al and Au) of bulk heterojunction solar cells significantly enhances the fill factor and stabilizes high open circuit voltages. Compared to devices without the LiF interfacial layer, the white light efficiencies increase by over 20% up to ηeff∼3.3%. Substitution of the LiF by another insulating interlayer SiOx results in lower overall efficiencies. In the case of a LiF/Au electrode, substantial efficiency enhancement is observed compared to a pristine Au electrode and white light efficiencies up to ηeff∼2.3% are reported.

Inverted bulk-heterojunction organic photovoltaic device using a solution-derived ZnO underlayer

Inverted organic photovoltaic devices based on a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and a fullerene have been developed by inserting a solution-processed ZnO interlayer between the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and the active layer using Ag as a hole-collecting back contact. Efficient electron extraction through the ZnO and hole extraction through the Ag, with minimal loss in open-circuit potential, is observed with a certified power conversion efficiency of 2.58%. The inverted architecture removes the need for the use of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) as an ITO modifier and for the use of a low-work-function metal as the back contact in the device.

Fabrication of bulk heterojunction plastic solar cells by screen printing

We demonstrate the use of screen printing in the fabrication of ultrasmooth organic-based solar cells. Organic films on the order of several tens of nanometers in thickness and 2.6 nm surface roughness were made. The first-generation screen-printed plastic solar cells demonstrated 4.3% in power conversion efficiency when using an aluminum electrode and 488 nm illumination.

Organic solar cells with carbon nanotubes replacing In2O3:Sn as the transparent electrode

We report two viable organic excitonic solar cell structures where the conventional In2O3:Sn (ITO) hole-collecting electrode was replaced by a thin single-walled carbon nanotube layer. The first structure includes poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and gave a nonoptimized device efficiency of 1.5%. The second did not use PEDOT as a hole selective contact and had an efficiency of 0.47%. The strong rectifying behavior of the device shows that nanotubes are selective for holes and are not efficient recombination sites. The reported excitonic solar cell, produced without ITO and PEDOT, is an important step towards a fully printable solar cell.

Highly efficient and bright organic electroluminescent devices with an aluminum cathode

The electron injection process, which limits the electroluminescent performance of organic devices, has been enhanced tremendously by inserting a layer of LiF with appropriate thickness between the cathode and a quinacridone doped organic layer. Devices with an Al/LiF cathode demonstrated a luminance in excess of 20 000 cd/m2 and an external quantum efficiency of 3%, which is comparable to devices with a Mg/LiF cathode. These devices show maximum luminance of 45 000 cd/m2 prior to failure in continuous bias operation. For the same LiF thickness, the operating voltage for devices with Al/LiF was lower than the corresponding operating voltage for devices with Mg/LiF or Mg alone. Tunneling theory is used to explain this enhancement.

Bright blue organic light-emitting diode with improved color purity using a LiF/Al cathode

We report a two-layer, blue organic light-emitting diode with a 4,4′-bis(2,2-diphenylvinyl)-1,1′-biphenyl emission layer and a LiF/Al cathode which has an external quantum efficiency of 1.4% and a maximum luminance of 3000 cd/m2. Insertion of the thin LiF layer results in a 50-fold increase in the device efficiency compared to a device with an aluminum only cathode, and eliminates the need for an electron-transporting layer, such as tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum. This results in a device with excellent color purity with an emission peak at 476 nm and a full width at half maximum of 78 nm. Using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, we find that the effective work-function of aluminum decreases dramatically with sub-monolayer amounts of LiF deposited on the surface.

Photovoltaic manufacturing: Present status, future prospects, and research needs

In May 2010 the United States National Science Foundation sponsored a two-day workshop to review the state-of-the-art and research challenges in photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing. This article summarizes the major conclusions and outcomes from this workshop, which was focused on identifying the science that needs to be done to help accelerate PV manufacturing. A significant portion of the article focuses on assessing the current status of and future opportunities in the major PV manufacturing technologies. These are solar cells based on crystalline silicon (c-Si), thin films of cadmium telluride (CdTe), thin films of copper indium gallium diselenide, and thin films of hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon. Current trends indicate that the cost per watt of c-Si and CdTe solar cells are being reduced to levels beyond the constraints commonly associated with these technologies. With a focus on TW/yr production capacity, the issue of material availability is discussed along with the emerging technologies of dye-sensitized solar cells and organic photovoltaics that are potentially less constrained by elemental abundance. Lastly, recommendations are made for research investment, with an emphasis on those areas that are expected to have cross-cutting impact.

Optimal negative electrodes for poly(3-hexylthiophene): [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices

The role of the work function and interfacial chemistry on organic device performance was investigated by using a series of contact materials. The active layer was a standard blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6-6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester. Over 100 devices were fabricated and measured to obtain good statistics. Ba∕Al and Ca∕Al electrodes performed best, with similar open-circuit voltages and power conversion efficiencies. Device stability studies showed devices with these two electrodes remained similar after six weeks with degradation of 11%–16% in net conversion efficiency observed. The incorporation of silver into the electrodes led to considerably more degradation than other electrode types.

Performance of Bulk Heterojunction Photovoltaic Devices Prepared by Airbrush Spray Deposition

We have used airbrush spray deposition to fabricate organic photovoltaic devices with an active layer composed of a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester. Working devices were prepared in ambient conditions from a variety of common organic solvents; active layers prepared from chlorobenzene exhibit improved homogeneity, resulting in narrower distributions of the relevant device parameters. Further studies on devices prepared from chlorobenzene showed that annealing at 120°C for 10min resulted in optimum performance, and that an active layer thickness of 150nm resulted in a maximum efficiency of 2.35% under AM1.5 illumination at 1sun.