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P-N junction

P-N junction

A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...

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In situ Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering on Roll-To-Roll Coating of Organic Solar Cells with Laboratory X-ray Instrumentation

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Solution-processed small-molecule solar cells with 6.7% efficiency.

Yanming Sun, Gregory C Welch, Wei Lin Leong

Nature Materials

|November 8, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

New small-molecule organic solar cells achieve record 6.7% power conversion efficiency (PCE). This breakthrough in solution-processed small-molecule bulk-heterojunction (SM BHJ) devices rivals polymer-based solar cells.

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Published on: January 10, 2017

Area of Science:

Organic electronics
Photovoltaics
Materials science

Background:

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices offer potential for flexible, cost-effective solar energy.
Solution-processed polymer bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells have achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 6-8%.
Solution-processed small-molecule BHJ (SM BHJ) solar cells have lagged behind in efficiency.

Discussion:

This study introduces a novel molecular donor, DTS(PTTh(2))(2), for efficient solution-processed SM BHJ solar cells.
A record PCE of 6.7% was achieved for DTS(PTTh(2))(2):PC(70)BM devices (7:3 ratio) under AM 1.5 G irradiation.
Minimal solvent additive (0.25% 1,8-diiodooctane, DIO) use resulted in reduced domain sizes within the BHJ layer, enhancing performance.

Key Insights:

Efficient solution-processed SM BHJ solar cells can now compete with polymer-based counterparts.
Optimized film morphology through controlled processing is crucial for high OPV performance.
Novel molecular design is key to advancing small-molecule organic solar cell technology.

Outlook:

Further research into molecular design and processing techniques can unlock higher efficiencies for SM BHJ solar cells.
These advancements pave the way for wider adoption of organic photovoltaics in various applications.
Small-molecule organic solar cells show significant promise for future renewable energy solutions.