Preparation and characterization of P3HT-PCBM Organic solar cells (original) (raw)
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Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2012
Bulk-heterojunction solar cells based on P3HT:PCBM with Al or Ag electrodes deposited either by magnetron sputtering or by thermal evaporation were produced and their performance compared. The best results were obtained with thermally evaporated Al electrodes. Post-production annealing was applied to the already encapsulated samples and significantly enhanced the efficiency of all four types of cells. For both Ag and Al electrodes deposited by thermal evaporation post-annealing improved the I-V characteristics eliminating the S-shape usually typical for as deposited samples.
2017
Organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted a significant attention during the last decade due to their simple processability on a flexible substrate as well as scope for large-scale production using role to role technique. Improving the performance of the organic solar cells and their lifetime stability are one of the main challenges faced by researchers in this field. In this thesis, work has been carried out using a blend of Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]-Phenyl C6i butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as an active layer in the ratio of (1:1) (P3HT:PCBM). The efficiency and stability of P3HT:PCBM-based solar cells have been examined using different methods and employing novel materials such asl-[N-(2-ethoxyethyl) pent-4-ynamide]-8 (11), 15 (18), 22 (25)tris-{2-[2-(2-ethoxyethoxy) ethoxy]-l-[2-((2-ethoxyethoxy)-ethoxy) methyl] ethyloxy] phthalocyaninato zinc (II) (ZnPc) to construct a ternary hybrid as the active layer. Controlling the morphology and crystallinity of P3HT:PCBM active layer was carried out using different solvents including chloroform (CF), chlorobenzene (CB) and dichlorobenzene (DCB) and their co-solvents in the ratio of (1:1) to dissolve the P3HT:PCBM blend. Optimum morphology and crystallinity were achieved using a co-solvent made of CB:CF with the obtained solar cell exhibiting the highest performance with PCE reaching 2.73% among other devices prepared using different solvents. Further device performance improvement was observed through optimization of active layer thickness with studied thickness falling in range 65-266 nm. Measurements of the PV characteristics of the investigated OSC devices have revealed optimum performance when active layer thickness was 95 nm with PCE=3.846%. The stability of the P3HT:PCBM-based devices on optimisation of the active layer thickness has shown a decrease in PCE of about 71% over a period of 41 days. Furthermore, P3HT has been blended with different fullerene derivatives (PC60BM, PC6iBM, PC70BM and PC71BM) and the active layers were processed using the optimum solvent as well as optimum film's thickness. These PCBM derivatives have different lower unoccupied molecular level (LUMO) and different higher occupied molecular level (HOMO) positions, which subsequently influence the PV parameters of the OSCs such as the device open circuit voltage (V oc) and its built-in potential (V b i). P3HT:PC6iBM-based blend has exhibited the highest device performance with PCE reaching 4.2%. Using the above mentioned optimum parameters, the P3HT:PCBM-based devices have been subjected to post-deposition annealing at different temperatures in the range 100-180°C. Efficient device performance was ascribed to P3HT:PCBM layers being subjected to post-deposition heat treatment at 140°C with PCE=5.5%. Device stability as a result of post-deposition heat treatment has also been shown to improve with PCE degrading by about 38% after 55 days.
Organic solar cells based on P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction were prepared and subjected to post anneal-ing at different temperatures (100, 120, 140, 160 and 180 °C). SEM, AFM as well as optical images have revealed that post deposition heat treatment has induced significant phase segregation between P3HT and PCBM which were found to result in growth of PCBM clusters on the films surface. The P3HT:PCBM absorption spectra were found to be blue shifted by 7 nm in films subjected to heat treatment at 160 °C and 180 °C. XRD data show a single diffraction peak at 2h = 5.33 ± 0.23 o for P3HT:PCBM films and was attributed to the edge-on arrangement of the (100) plane. Space charge limited conduction theory was employed to determine the charge carrier mobility; the highest obtained mobility was obtained for devices with active layers heat-treated at 140 °C. The change in the barrier height was derived from dark I–V. The variation in the metal–semi-conductor contact between the Al electrode and P3HT:PCBM active layer were addressed and the barrier height has increased to form hole blocking contact and the ideality factor has decreased implying a decrease in the recombination rate. A direct relation between Fermi level, V bi , and V oc was studied. Efficient device performance was ascribed to P3HT:PCBM layers which were subjected to post deposition heat treatment at 140 °C with PCE = 5.5 %, FF = 65.6 %, J sc = 12.9 mA cm-2 and V oc = 0.65 V.
Performance optimization of P3HT:PCBM solar cells by controlling active layer thickness
Optimization of organic solar cells (OSCs) active layer thickness for improved performance has been investigated for P3HT:PCBM hybrid bulk heterojunction OSCs. Active layers in the range 65-266 nm were produced using a conventional device structure (ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Al). UV-visible absorption spectra revealed typical P3HT:PCBM absorption features for all obtained thicknesses. The dark J-V characteristics were employed to determine the charge carrier mobility using space charge limited conduction theory (SCLC) and series resistance of investigated devices were also derived. Series resistance was found to decrease with decreasing active layer thickness reaching lowest value of 33.9 for film thickness of 95nm. Furthermore, charge carrier mobility was found to increase with decreasing thickness of the active layer, with a maximum mobility value of 1.37 ×10-5 cm 2 V-1 s-1 obtained for the 95nm thick films. Measurements of the PV characteristics of the investigated devices have revealed optimum performance when active layer thickness was 95 nm. Power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as 3.86%, fill factor (FF) of 50%, short circuit current (J sc) of 12.6 mAcm-2 were achieved for optimum active layer thickness of 95nm. On the other hand open circuit voltage (V oc) remained almost unchanged in range of 0.61-0.62V for all investigated devices. Moreover, device stability was shown to be largely improved for optimum active layer thickness with constancy for more than three months.
Optimization of the Active Layer P3HT:PCBM for Organic Solar Cell
Coatings
ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PC60BM/Mg-Al organic solar cells (OSCs) were fabricated depending on optimization of Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-Butyric-Acid-Methyl Ester (PC60BM). The optimization of the active layer, P3HT:PC60BM, was carried out under different spin frequencies coating from 900 to 3000 rpm. The post-production annealing temperature of all prepared OSC was studied from 130 to 190 °C. The holes transport layer, poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), was prepared under constant conditions of 3000 rpm for 35 s, and annealing temperature 178 °C for 15 min. From our study, the optimum conditions for P3HT:PC60BM were spin coating of 3000 rpm, and annealing temperature of 160 °C for 5 min. The optimum J-V parameters values for the prepared OSC were JSC = 12.01 mA/cm2, VOC = 660 mV, FF = 59%, PCE = 4.65%, and EQE = 61%. A complete OSC with acceptable efficiency was designed using simple and low-cost techniques that may be utilized...
Fabrication of P3HT: PCBM bulk heterojunction organic solar cell
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2019
The fabrication of organic solar cells (OSCs) employing solution processing has proven to be a convenient method to guarantee the fabrication of OSCs at low cost and large-scale production. This manuscript demonstrates the successful fabrication of TFOSC with device structure: poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS)/poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): [6, 6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)/lithium fluoride (LiF)/aluminium (Al) under ambient conditions. An overall power conversion efficiency of 3.25% and charge carrier mobility of 1.22e−2 cm v s−1 was obtained and PEDOT: PSS was beneficial in improving the charge transport processes in the preparation of organic solar cells.
2019
This paper reports a study on the effect of series and layer thickness on the performance of an organic photovoltaic cell which is based on polymer/fullerene P3HT: PCBM. Electrical simulation has been examined on ITOPEDOT: PSS-P3HT: PCBM-Al structure with GPVDM (GeneralPurpose Photovoltaic Device Model) software. We used the GPVDM software to investigate the effect of series resistance and layer thickness on power conversion efficiency (PCE) and fill factor (FF) in an organic solar cell which is based on P3HT: PCBM as an absorbing layer. The changes were made by applying the different series resistance and layer thickness value. The results show that the power conversion efficiency can be increased by changing the value of the series resistance and layer thickness, in our case the power conversion efficiency has been increased from 11.66% to 13.84% and fill factor has been change from 66.29% to 70%.
Performance and degradation of organic solar cells with different P3HT:PCBM[70] blend composition
Proceedings of the 8th Spanish Conference on Electron Devices, CDE'2011, 2011
In this work, we investigate the performance of Bulk Heterojunction (BHJ) Organic Solar Cells fabricated with P3HT films blended with varying weight fractions of PCBM[70]. To determine the optimal composition, P3HT:PCBM[70] blends at three different ratios (1:0.84, 1:1 and 1:1.21, wt%) were fabricated. The electrical parameters were extracted from the current-voltage characteristics (I-V) under dark and illuminated conditions. The degradation mechanisms involved in the devices were studied.
Effect of trapping and temperature on the performance of P3HT: PCBM organic solar cells
The effects of trapping and temperature have been investigated in P3HT: PCBM bulk organic solar cells. We used the simulator tool SILVACO to model the current-voltage and the external quantum efficiency (EQE). We showed that good agreement with data measurements of solar cell parameters. The charge carrier mobility for electrons and holes has been varied taking into account the dependence of mobility with trapping concentration and temperature. We found that the highest efficiency is achieved with density of trapping that did not exceed 10 −15 -10 −16 cm 2 /V.s. The recombination process described by Sah-Shockley statistics caused by higher trapping concentrations limit the performance of the solar cell, whereas low concentrations trapping increase charge carriers mobility than increase Langevin Bimolecular recombination leading to a reduction of the open-circuit voltage and the efficiency. A maximum efficiency values found in range 220-250 K du to the increase of short circuit current and The decrease of open circuit voltage with the increase in temperature.
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering
In this study, the role of active layer thickness, hole transport layer thickness, and electron mobility on the performance of P3HT: PCBM-based inverted organic solar cells has been investigated. The simulation has been done for device structure ITO/ZnO/P3HT: PCBM/MoO3/Ag using the general-purpose photovoltaic device model (GPVDM) program tool. The short circuit current density (Jsc), open circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the cell were determined by varying the thickness of the active layer from 140 nm to 260 nm, the hole transparent layer from 10 nm to 40 nm, and electron mobility from 0.5 × 10−3 cm2V−1s−1 to 6.5 × 10−3 cm2V−1s−1. The PCE improvement was observed at 220 nm and 20 nm active layer and hole transporting layer thickness, respectively, for 4.5 × 10−3 cm2V−1s−1 electron mobility. The results confirmed that the thickness of the active layer, hole transport layer, and charge carrier mobility plays an important role in the pe...