Organic Thin Films Deposited by Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) for Photovoltaic Cell Applications: A Review

Abstract

Human society’s demand for energy has increased faster in the last few decades due to the world’s population growth and economy development. Solar power can be a part of a sustainable solution to this world’s energy need, taking into account that the cost of the renewable energy recently dropped owed to the remarkable progress achieved in the solar panels field. Thus, this inexhaustible source of energy can produce cheap and clean energy with a beneficial impact on the climate change. The considerable potential of the organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells was recently emphasized, with efficiencies exceeding 18% being achieved for OPV devices with various architectures. The challenges regarding the improvement in the OPV performance consist of the selection of the adequate raw organic compounds and manufacturing techniques, both strongly influencing the electrical parameters of the fabricated OPV devices. At the laboratory level, the solution-based techniques are used in the preparation of the active films based on polymers, while the vacuum evaporation is usually involved in the deposition of small molecule organic compounds. The major breakthrough in the OPV field was the implementation of the bulk heterojunction concept but the deposition of mixed films from the same solvent is not always possible. Therefore, this review provides a survey on the development attained in the deposition of organic layers based on small molecules compounds, oligomers and polymers using matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE)-based deposition techniques (MAPLE, RIR-MAPLE and emulsion-based RIR-MAPLE). An overview of the influence of various experimental parameters involved in these laser deposition methods on the properties of the fabricated layers is given in order to identify, in the forthcoming years, new strategies for enhancing the OPV cells performance.

Macrocyclic Compounds: Metal Oxide Particles Nanocomposite Thin Films Deposited by MAPLE

“…Moreover, the FESEM images ( Figure 4 ) revealed that the P1 and P2 samples present larger clusters than P3 and P4 samples due to the presence of ZnO nanoparticles, which have larger sizes than those of CuO nanoparticles ( Figure 1 ). Thus, the globular morphology characteristic to the MAPLE deposition [ 42 , 46 ] together with the particularities linked to the metal oxide nanoparticle size and components ratio result in films with surfaces containing aggregates that have a clusterization tendency. The presence of the metal oxide nanoparticles in the composite films deposited by MAPLE is proved by the EDX spectra ( Figure 4 insets), the signals corresponding to C, N, O, Zn, and Cu (elements contained by both organic and inorganic components) being identified.…”

“…Matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) is a laser-processing technique initially developed to deposit soft materials (especially biomaterials), which is currently extended to the fabrication of composite layers [ 18 , 40 , 41 ]. Thus, various types of substrates with different wettability were covered by MAPLE from solutions with a low concentration of material (frequently 1–5% mass concentration) [ 41 , 42 , 43 ]. Several deposition parameters can be tuned in order to obtain films with suitable properties, the most important being: (i) the solvent involved in the preparation of the solution that is further frozen to fabricate the MAPLE target and (ii) the laser fluence used during the deposition process [ 44 , 45 ].…”

In-Depth Characterization of Two Bioactive Coatings Obtained Using MAPLE on TiTaZrAg

“…The Matrix-Assisted Pulsed-Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) deposition technique is a cutting-edge technology that has revolutionized the way thin films and coatings are deposited on different substrates [ 14 ]. MAPLE uses laser energy to transfer thin films of different materials while maintaining the original characteristics of the material [ 15 ]. MAPLE deposition technique offers a high degree of control over the deposited particles’ size, shape, and orientation, which is critical for many advanced applications [ 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”

Special Issue “Pulsed Laser Deposition of Thin Films: Recent Advances and Challenge”

“…This Special Issue presents a topical collection devoted to recent advances and challenges in the field of pulsed laser deposition of thin films. Both PLD and MAPLE techniques are explored for specific applications in photovoltaic cells [1][2][3], optics and microelectronics [4,5], quantum materials [6], and wearable pressure sensors [7]. The Langmuir probe technique, as an in situ and real-time plasma characterization during the synthesis of the coatings, was reviewed in [8].…”

“…An overview of the organic thin films deposited by MAPLE for photovoltaic cell applications is introduced in a comprehensive review paper [2]. The authors provided evidence for the recent advances obtained in the deposition of organic layers consisting of small molecule compounds, oligomers, and polymers using MAPLE-based deposition techniques (MAPLE, RIR-MAPLE and emulsion-based RIR-MAPLE).…”