Improvement of surface morphology of thin films and performance by applying electric field on P3HT:PCBM based solar cells

Shen, Yuning; Chen, Chao-Shuo; Yang, Po-Chun; Ma, Shou-Yuan; Lin, Ching−Fuh

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2011.12.008

Cited by 31 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The PCE of the solar cells based on the P3HT/fullerene system depends strongly on the processing conditions [12] and can be improved by increasing the crystalline content of the P3HT. Different approaches have been suggested for the optimization of the morphology, such as thermal annealing [5,6,[13][14][15], solvent annealing [16], electric field treatment [17], the use of various solvent additives, e.g., alkanedithiols [18], 1-chloronaphthalene [19], 1,8-diiodooctane [20], and nitrobenzene [21], or the use of different solvents [22,23] to lead to a molecular 2 rearrangement of the spin-coated film. Thermal annealing has been shown to be a critical step in the fabrication of P3HT/PCBM solar cells [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative study: the effect of annealing conditions on the properties of P3HT:PCBM blends

et al. 2012

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This paper presents a detailed study on the role of various annealing treatments on organic poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6]-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester blends under different experimental conditions. A combination of analytical tools is used to study the alteration of the phase separation, structure and photovoltaic properties of the P3HT:PCBM blend during the annealing process. Results showed that the thermal annealing yields PCBM ''needle-like'' crystals and that prolonged heat treatment leads to extensive phase separation, as demonstrated by the growth in the size and quantity of PCBM crystals. The substrate annealing method demonstrated an optimal morphology by eradicating and suppressing the formation of fullerene clusters across the film, resulting in longer P3HT fibrils with smaller diameter. Improved optical constants, PL quenching and a decrease in the P3HT optical bad-gap were demonstrated for the substrate annealed films due to the limited diffusion of the PCBM molecules. An effective strategy for determining an optimized morphology through substrate annealing treatment is therefore revealed for improved device efficiency. IntroductionOrganic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells have attracted significant attention due to their great potential for large-area, light-weight, flexible, and low-cost devices [1][2][3][4]. Recently, OPV research has been dominated by the poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6]-phenyl C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT: PCBM) blend reaching power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 5-7 % [5,6]. Most recently a record PCE of about 8.13 and 8.5 % has been reported [7, 8]. Despite recent achievements, improvement in PCEs, stability and lifetime of the devices are necessary before organic solar cells become commercially viable [9][10][11]. The PCE of the solar cells based on the P3HT/fullerene system depends strongly on the processing conditions [12] and can be improved by increasing the crystalline content of the P3HT. Different approaches have been suggested for the optimization of the morphology, such as thermal annealing [5,6,[13][14][15]

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative study: the effect of annealing conditions on the properties of P3HT:PCBM blends

et al. 2012

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“…In addition, some studies mentioned that the absorption peak has red shift or blue shift when the inter-chain interaction between organic materials is changed [64]. One of the interesting features of organic polymer is that the band gap can easily be altered without changing its chemical components.…”

Section: Absorption Spectramentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthesis and Exploitation in Solar Cells of Hydrothermally Grown ZnO Nanorods Covered by ZnS Quantum Dots

Mehrabian

Afarideh

Mirabbaszadeh

et al. 2014

Journal of the Optical Society of Korea

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Improved power conversion efficiency of hybrid solar cells with ITO/ZnO seed layer/ZnO NRs/ZnS QDs/P3HT/PCBM/Ag structure was obtained by optimizing the growth period of ZnO nanorods (NRs). ZnO NRs were grown using a hydrothermal method on ZnO seed layers, while ZnS quantum dots (QDs) (average thickness about 24 nm) were fabricated on the ZnO NRs by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. Morphology, crystalline structure and optical absorption of layers were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Visible absorption spectra, respectively. The XRD results implied that ZnS QDs were in the cubic phase (sphalerite). Other experimental results showed that the maximum power conversion efficiency of 4.09% was obtained for a device based on ZnO NR10 under an illumination of one Sun (AM 1.5G, 100 mW/cm 2 ).

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“…Protocols for controlling the formation of morphology with self-organized ordered structures of the polymer units within the active layer can be realized by appropriate solvent selection [63], slow drying of spin-coated films [64][65][66], thermal [67][68][69] and solvent annealing [70][71][72] treatment of the films, surface treatment of ITO [73], the application of an electric field [74], the use of chemical additives [75], additive-spraying techniques [76], and the use of nanowires (NWs) [77] and nanoparticles [78].…”

Section: Strategies For Controlling the Active-layer Morphology In Bhjsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Approaches to Controlling the Nanoscale Morphology of Polymer-Based Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells

et al. 2013

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Abstract:The need for clean, inexpensive and renewable energy has increasingly turned research attention towards polymer photovoltaic cells. However, the performance efficiency of these devices is still low in comparison with silicon-based devices. The recent introduction of new materials and processing techniques has resulted in a remarkable increase in power-conversion efficiency, with a value above 10%. Controlling the interpenetrating network morphology is a key factor in obtaining devices with improved performance. This review focuses on the influence of controlled nanoscale morphology on the overall performance of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic cells. Strategies such as the use of solvents, solvent annealing, polymer nanowires (NWs), and donor-acceptor (D-A) blend ratios employed to control the active-layer morphologies are all discussed.

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Improvement of surface morphology of thin films and performance by applying electric field on P3HT:PCBM based solar cells

Cited by 31 publications

References 27 publications

Comparative study: the effect of annealing conditions on the properties of P3HT:PCBM blends

Comparative study: the effect of annealing conditions on the properties of P3HT:PCBM blends

Synthesis and Exploitation in Solar Cells of Hydrothermally Grown ZnO Nanorods Covered by ZnS Quantum Dots

Recent Approaches to Controlling the Nanoscale Morphology of Polymer-Based Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells

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