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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
06:49
In situ Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering on Roll-To-Roll Coating of Organic Solar Cells with Laboratory X-ray Instrumentation
Published on: March 2, 2021
Photonic crystal geometry for organic solar cells
Doo-Hyun Ko1, John R Tumbleston, Lei Zhang
1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Caudill and Kenan Laboratories CB 3290, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Nano Letters
|June 5, 2009
Summary
Researchers developed novel organic solar cells using photonic crystal nanostructures. This innovation significantly boosts light absorption and cell efficiency by up to 70% through enhanced light trapping and electrical properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Organic solar cells (OSCs) offer a promising alternative for renewable energy generation.
- Improving light absorption and charge extraction in OSCs is crucial for enhancing their power conversion efficiency.
- Existing methods for enhancing OSC performance often involve complex fabrication processes or material-specific treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel photonic crystal nanostructure integrated into the photoactive layer of organic solar cells.
- To investigate the impact of this nanostructure on light absorption and overall device efficiency.
- To demonstrate a scalable and materials-agnostic fabrication method for creating these nanostructures.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of photonic crystal nanostructures using the PRINT (nanoimprint lithography) technique.
- Embossing the nanostructure directly into the bulk heterojunction layer of organic solar cells.
- Characterization of optical absorption enhancement and electrical performance of the fabricated devices.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 3-fold enhancement in light absorption within specific solar spectrum regions due to multiple excitation resonances.
- Demonstrated overall power conversion efficiency improvements of approximately 70% in the organic solar cells.
- The photonic crystal fabrication process using PRINT is materials-agnostic, scalable to large areas (approx. 4 cm²), and achieved in a single step.
Conclusions:
- Photonic crystal nanostructures embossed in the photoactive layer significantly enhance both light absorption and electrical properties of organic solar cells.
- The PRINT technique provides a scalable and versatile method for fabricating these performance-boosting nanostructures.
- This approach offers a generalizable strategy for improving the efficiency of organic solar cells.
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