Weiran Cao

High-Efficiency, Low Turn-on Voltage Blue-Violet Quantum-Dot-Based Light-Emitting Diodes

We report high-efficiency blue-violet quantum-dot-based light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) by using high quantum yield ZnCdS/ZnS graded core-shell QDs with proper surface ligands. Replacing the oleic acid ligands on the as-synthesized QDs with shorter 1-octanethiol ligands is found to cause a 2-fold increase in the electron mobility within the QD film. Such a ligand exchange also results in an even greater increase in hole injection into the QD layer, thus improving the overall charge balance in the LEDs and yielding a 70% increase in quantum efficiency. Using 1-octanethiol capped QDs, we have obtained a maximum luminance (L) of 7600 cd/m(2) and a maximum external quantum efficiency (ηEQE) of (10.3 ± 0.9)% (with the highest at 12.2%) for QD-LEDs devices with an electroluminescence peak at 443 nm. Similar quantum efficiencies are also obtained for other blue/violet QD-LEDs with peak emission at 455 and 433 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of blue QD-LEDs with ηEQE > 10%. Combined with the low turn-on voltage of ∼2.6 V, these blue-violet ZnCdS/ZnS QD-LEDs show great promise for use in next-generation full-color displays.

Recent progress in organic photovoltaics: device architecture and optical design

Research on organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials and devices has flourished in recent years due to their potential for offering low-cost solar energy conversion. With a deepened understanding on the fundamental photovoltaic processes in organic electronic materials and the development of tailored materials and device architectures, we have seen a rapid increase in the efficiency of OPV devices to over 10%, which attracts tremendous commercial interests for further development and manufacturing. Here, we review recent progress in the field of organic photovoltaics, particularly on various innovative device architectures and optical designs to maximize the power conversion efficiency of OPV cells for a given set of photoactive donor and acceptor materials. Following an introduction of the basic device operation of organic photovoltaic cells and the advances in active materials, we firstly present different device architectures that have been used to optimize the charge generation and collection characteristics within the OPV devices. We then discuss various methods to manage and manipulate the light wave propagation in OPV devices for more complete absorption of the incident light, an important area that has been underexplored so far.

A universal optical approach to enhancing efficiency of organic-based photovoltaic devices

We report a new optical approach that can be used to enhance light harvesting in many different organic-based photovoltaic cells. A transparent polymer microlens array moulded on the light incident surface increases the light path in the active layer and reduces surface reflection, resulting in a 15–60% relative increase in overall cell efficiency.

Transparent electrodes for organic optoelectronic devices: a review

Abstract. Transparent conductive electrodes are one of the essential components for organic optoelectronic devices, including photovoltaic cells and light-emitting diodes. Indium-tin oxide (ITO) is the most common transparent electrode in these devices due to its excellent optical and electrical properties. However, the manufacturing of ITO film requires precious raw materials and expensive processes, which limits their compatibility with mass production of large-area, low-cost devices. The optical/electrical properties of ITO are strongly dependent on the deposition processes and treatment conditions, whereas its brittleness and the potential damage to underlying films during deposition also present challenges for its use in flexible devices. Recently, several other transparent conductive materials, which have various degrees of success relative to commercial applications have been developed to address these issues. Starting from the basic properties of ITO and the effect of various ITO surface modification methods, here we review four different groups of materials, doped metal oxides, thin metals, conducting polymers, and nanomaterials (including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metal nanowires), that have been reported as transparent electrodes in organic optoelectronic materials. Particular emphasis is given to their optical/electrical and other material properties, deposition techniques, and applications in organic optoelectronic devices.

Enhancing Light Extraction in Top‐Emitting Organic Light‐Emitting Devices Using Molded Transparent Polymer Microlens Arrays

The light extraction efficiency in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) is enhanced by up to 2.6 times when a close-packed, hemispherical transparent polymer microlens array (MLA) is molded on the light-emitting surface of a top-emitting device. The microlens array helps to extract the waveguided optical emission in the organic layers and the transparent top electrode, and can be manufactured in large area with low cost.

Enhancing light harvesting in organic solar cells with pyramidal rear reflectors

We report enhanced light absorption in semi-transparent organic solar cells by using pyramidal rear reflectors to induce light trapping in the photoactive layer. Pyramidal rear reflectors with a base angle of 30° were molded from a transparent polymer on planar substrates. Compared with a planar rear reflector, the pyramidal structure leads to a more than 2.5 times longer path length in the active layer for the incident light. Experimental demonstration showed an 11%–75% enhancement in the photocurrent and overall efficiency of the solar cells, depending on the device size and active layer thickness.

Consequences of hydrogen bonding on molecular organization and charge transport in molecular organic photovoltaic materials

Reported is a systematic molecular structure–property relationship study to evaluate the consequences of dedicated H-bonding interactions between molecular electron donors on molecular assembly, absorption, charge collection, and performance in small-molecule bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices. Three families of branched quaterthiophene donor chromophores have been synthesized with members that share nearly identical electronic and optical properties in the molecularly dispersed state but are either capable or incapable of self-association by hydrogen bonding (H-bonding). Phthalhydrazide-functionalized quaterthiophenes are H-bond “active” and show signatures of H-bond promoted assembly in solution (by 1H NMR) and in both neat and blended (with C60) films (by IR). Compared to control compounds with H-bonding “turned off”, the H-bonded derivatives show red-shifted thin film absorption (neat and as blends with C60), different colors as bulk solids, and increased decomposition and melt temperatures. Photovoltaic devices made from blends of H-bonded donor molecules with C60 as the electron acceptor show improved charge collection length and external quantum efficiency resulting in a more than two-fold enhancement in power conversion efficiency relative to non-H-bonding controls, from 0.49% to 1.04%. We anticipate this approach could be generalized to include other donor chromophores with lower optical gap to harvest more longer-wavelength photons and achieve higher power conversion efficiencies.

High efficiency solution-processed thin-film Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 solar cells

The polycrystalline chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS) solar cell has been considered one of the most promising alternatives to conventional silicon solar cells, due to its achieving the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) among all the thin-film photovoltaic technologies, potentially lowered production cost and compatibility with large area flexible substrates. Unfortunately, almost all the high efficiency CIGS devices are presently fabricated via vacuum-based techniques, which still require expensive facilities and high power consumption, thus leaving the fabrication cost issue unresolved. Herein, a hydrazine-based, solution processed CIGS device with high performance has been demonstrated through the construction of a composition grading profile of the CIGS absorber layer, which enhances the charge collection efficiency and maximizes the solar spectrum absorption. ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NP), as the window layer, are proven to be an ideal alternative to sputtered ZnO, benefiting from high optical transparency, smooth and defectless interface, adjacent to the CIGS absorber layer. The CIGS solar cell with a certified PCE of 17.3% is achieved, which is the world record efficiency for solution-based CIGS solar cells, and also shortens the efficiency gap towards vacuum-based devices.

Efficient Zinc Phthalocyanine/C60 Heterojunction Photovoltaic Devices Employing Tetracene Anode Interfacial Layers

We report the development of efficient small molecular organic photovoltaic devices incorporating tetracene anode interfacial layers. Planar heterojunction devices employing the tetracene anode interfacial layer achieved an EQE enhancement of 150% in the spectral region corresponding to ZnPc absorption. We demonstrate that this enhancement is due to the combined effect of the tetracene layer providing exciton-blocking at the anode/donor interface and potentially an increase in the exciton diffusion length in the ZnPc layer due to increased crystallinity and more preferred molecular stacking orientation. A power conversion efficiency of 4.7% was achieved for a planar heterojunction of a modified zinc phthalocyanine based material and C60 when employing the tetracene anode interfacial layer. By utilizing a planar-mixed heterojunction structure a peak EQE of nearly 70% and a power conversion efficiency of 5.8% was achieved.

Transparent oxide/metal/oxide trilayer electrode for use in top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes

The most commonly used transparent electrode, indium-tin oxide (ITO), is costly and requires methods of deposition that are highly destructive to organic materials when it is deposited on top of the organic layers in top-emitting organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). Here we have employed a trilayer electrode structure consisting of a thin layer of metal sandwiched between two MoO3 layers, which can be deposited through vacuum thermal evaporation without much damage to the organic active layers. Such MoO3/Au/MoO3 trilayer electrodes have a maximum transmittance of nearly 90% at 600 nm and a sheet resistance of <10 ohms per square (Ω/sq) with a 10-nm thick Au intermediate layer. Using these trilayers as the top transparent anode, we have fabricated top-emitting OLEDs based on either a fluorescent or phosphorescent emitter, and observed nearly identical emission spectra and similar external quantum efficiencies as compared to the more conventional bottom-emitting OLEDs based on the commercial ITO anode. The power efficiency of the top-emitting devices is 20% to 30% lower than the bottom-emitting devices due to the somewhat inferior charge injection in the top-emitting devices. The performance and emission characteristics of these devices indicate that this trilayer structure is a promising candidate as a transparent anode in top-emitting OLEDs.