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Published on: March 2, 2021
Microcrystalline organic thin-film solar cells
Bregt Verreet1, Paul Heremans, Andre Stesmans
1imec, Kapeldreef 75, Leuven, B-3001, Belgium; Semiconductor Physics Section, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200d, Leuven, B-3001, Belgium.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|August 14, 2013
Summary
Researchers created tunable microcrystalline organic films for electronic devices. These films show improved photocurrents in solar cells, highlighting their potential for advanced organic electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Organic Electronics
- Solid-State Physics
Background:
- Organic electronic devices require precisely controlled film structures.
- Achieving high performance in organic solar cells depends on efficient charge transport and exciton dynamics.
- Template-assisted growth offers a pathway to ordered organic thin films.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for producing microcrystalline organic films with tunable thickness.
- To investigate the properties of these films, including exciton diffusion length.
- To evaluate the performance of solar cells fabricated using these microcrystalline organic films.
Main Methods:
- Direct crystallization of amorphous rubrene films on indium-tin-oxide substrates.
- Using the crystallized film as a template for subsequent homoepitaxial growth.
- Fabrication and characterization of organic solar cells incorporating these films.
Main Results:
- Successfully produced microcrystalline organic films with controllable thickness.
- Exciton diffusion lengths exceeding 200 nm were measured.
- Solar cells exhibited increasing photocurrents up to 400 nm film thickness.
- Achieved a fill factor greater than 65% in the fabricated solar cells.
Conclusions:
- The template-assisted homoepitaxial growth method enables the production of high-quality microcrystalline organic films.
- The demonstrated exciton diffusion lengths and solar cell performance indicate significant potential for microcrystalline organic electronics.
- This approach offers a promising route for advancing organic electronic device fabrication and performance.
