Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Beyond geometry orders: uncovering bonding-heterogeneity-dominated structure-relaxation coupling in glasses.

National science review·2026
Same author

Solvent-free synthesis of a binary organic material with spectroscopic, thermodynamic, dielectric and computational studies.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Ab Initio Superionic-Liquid Phase Diagram of Fe_{1-x}O_{x} under Earth's Inner Core Conditions.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

<i>Ab initio</i>calculation of atomic solid hydrogen phases based on Gutzwiller many-body wave functions.

Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal·2026
Same author

Thin-Film Silicon Nanosheet-Based Neuromorphic Assemblies.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2025
Same author

Robust calibration and energy optimization in reconfigurable photonic processors.

Optics express·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping
09:32

Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping

Published on: July 2, 2012

Microlens array induced light absorption enhancement in polymer solar cells.

Yuqing Chen1, Moneim Elshobaki, Zhuo Ye

  • 1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|February 15, 2013
PubMed
Summary

A microlens array (MLA) enhances light absorption in polymer solar cells (PSCs), boosting power conversion efficiency (PCE). This optical structure effectively reduces optical losses, offering a promising strategy for improving PSC performance without complex material processing.

More Related Videos

Well-aligned Vertically Oriented ZnO Nanorod Arrays and their Application in Inverted Small Molecule Solar Cells
09:32

Well-aligned Vertically Oriented ZnO Nanorod Arrays and their Application in Inverted Small Molecule Solar Cells

Published on: April 25, 2018

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic&#8211;Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer
08:29

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic–Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer

Published on: January 10, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping
09:32

Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping

Published on: July 2, 2012

Well-aligned Vertically Oriented ZnO Nanorod Arrays and their Application in Inverted Small Molecule Solar Cells
09:32

Well-aligned Vertically Oriented ZnO Nanorod Arrays and their Application in Inverted Small Molecule Solar Cells

Published on: April 25, 2018

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic&#8211;Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer
08:29

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic–Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer

Published on: January 10, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Optoelectronics
  • Renewable Energy

Background:

  • Polymer solar cells (PSCs) have garnered significant research interest, with power conversion efficiencies (PCE) approaching 10%.
  • Optical losses represent a substantial portion, approximately 40%, of total energy losses in PSCs.
  • Improving light absorption is crucial for enhancing PSC performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of a microlens array (MLA) on light absorption and PCE in PSCs.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of MLA in two different PSC systems: P3HT:PCBM and PCDTBT:PC70BM.
  • To determine if MLA can mitigate optical losses and improve overall device efficiency.

Main Methods:

  • Integration of a microlens array (MLA) onto the transparent substrate of PSC devices.
  • Characterization of optical properties, including absorption and external quantum efficiency (EQE), for PSCs with and without MLA.
  • Performance testing of PSC devices to determine power conversion efficiency (PCE).
  • Optical simulations incorporating all structural layers to validate experimental findings.

Main Results:

  • The MLA structure increased light absorption and absolute external quantum efficiency in both P3HT:PCBM and PCDTBT:PC70BM systems.
  • For the P3HT:PCBM system, MLA resulted in a ~4.3% increase in PCE for optimized devices.
  • For the PCDTBT:PC70BM system, MLA led to a >10% increase in PCE.
  • Simulations confirmed enhanced light absorption within the active layer due to the MLA.

Conclusions:

  • Microlens arrays (MLAs) are an effective strategy for increasing light absorption in PSCs.
  • The use of MLA significantly enhances the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs, particularly in systems with high optical losses.
  • MLA integration offers a practical approach to boost PSC performance without introducing material processing challenges for the active layers.