Enhanced Light Utilization in Semitransparent Organic Photovoltaics Using an Optical Outcoupling Architecture

Abstract

Building-integrated photovoltaics employing transparent photovoltaic cells on window panes provides an opportunity to convert solar energy to electricity rather than generating waste heat. In this work, we demonstrate semitransparent organic photovoltaic cells (ST-OPVs) that utilize a non-fullerene acceptor based near-infrared (NIR) absorbing ternary cell combined with a thin, semitransparent, high conductivity Cu-Ag alloy electrode. A This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. 2 combination of optical outcoupling and anti-reflection coatings leads to enhance visible transmission, while reflecting the NIR back into the cell where it is absorbed. This combination of coatings results in doubling of the light utilization efficiency (LUE), which is equal to the product of the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and the average photopic transparency compared with a conventional semitransparent cell. A maximum LUE = 3.56 ± 0.11% is achieved for a ST-OPV with a PCE = 8.0 ± 0.2% at 1 sun, reference AM1.5G spectrum. Moreover, neutral colored ST-OPVs are also demonstrated, with LUE = 2.56 ± 0.2%, along with Commission Internationale d'Eclairage chromaticity coordinates of CIE = (0.337, 0.349) and a color rendering index of CRI = 87.

Thin‐Metal‐Film‐Based Transparent Conductors: Material Preparation, Optical Design, and Device Applications

“…By its spectral filtering capability, good electrical conductivity, and large‐scale manufacturing compatibility, the MDM‐based filters can be employed as semitransparent electrodes in various optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells with colored appearances [ 285–289 ] and light emitting diodes with modified emission properties. [ 290 ] The schematic of a colored perovskite solar cell using a Ag/ITO/Ag top electrode is shown in Figure 25d.…”

Optical management in organic photovoltaic devices

“…Benefiting from the improvement in light transmittance, a relatively high AVT of 26.2% was obtained. Li et al 98 used an antireflection coating (ARC) and an optical outcoupling (OC) architecture to enhance light utilization in the semitransparent device based on PCE‐10:TT‐FIC:BT‐CIC. The UV‐vis spectrum showed that the main absorption region of the ternary film is located at 600–1000 nm, leaving a transparent window between 400 and 600 nm.…”

Recent Progress on Advanced Optical Structures for Emerging Photovoltaics and Photodetectors

“…Li et al adopted a outcoupling layer of 4,4′‐bis( N ‐carbazolyl)‐1,1′‐biphenyl (CBP)/MgF 2 /CBP/MgF 2 with a multilayer SiO 2 /SiN x DBR and an antireflection coating to improve the degree of light manipulation (Figure 3c ) . [ 83 ] They obtained a maximum LUE of 3.56 ± 0.11%, a PCE of 8.0 ± 0.2%, CIE coordinates of (0.337, 0.349), and a CRI of 87. Very recently, Forrest and coworkers prepared an ST‐OPV providing a PCE of 10.8% and visible transparency of ≈50%.…”

“…Plot of PCE with respect to AVT for ST‐OPVs and ST‐PSCs reported in the literature. [ 1,9–12,15,17,18,20–22,24,33–110 ] …”