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Thermally Stable Solution Processed Vanadium Oxide as a Hole Extraction Layer in Organic Solar Cells
Abdullah Alsulami1, Jonathan Griffin2, Rania Alqurashi3
1Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Rd., Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7RH, UK. asalsulami1@sheffield.ac.uk.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 5, 2017
Summary
Solution-processed vanadium oxide thin films offer a low-cost hole extraction layer for polymer solar cells. Annealing improves stability and transparency, but higher temperatures decrease efficiency due to altered film properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Thin Film Technology
Background:
- Vanadium oxide (V₂Oₓ) thin films are utilized as hole extraction layers (HELs) in polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells.
- Low-temperature, solution-processable methods are desirable for cost-effective solar cell fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fabrication of V₂Oₓ thin films using a solution-processable precursor at room temperature.
- To evaluate the performance of these V₂Oₓ films as HELs in organic photovoltaics (OPVs).
- To assess the impact of post-deposition annealing on film properties and device performance.
Main Methods:
- Spin-coating of vanadium(V) oxytriisopropoxide (s-V₂Oₓ) in air at room temperature.
- Hydrolysis of the precursor in air to form V₂Oₓ films.
- Annealing of V₂Oₓ films at various temperatures (100 °C, 200 °C, 300 °C, 400 °C).
- Fabrication and characterization of OPV devices incorporating the V₂Oₓ HELs.
Main Results:
- Room temperature fabrication yielded V₂Oₓ films with properties comparable to vacuum-deposited V₂O₅.
- Annealing at 100 °C and 200 °C improved thermal stability and light transparency without significantly impacting device performance.
- Annealing at 300 °C and 400 °C led to a ~15% decrease in power conversion efficiency (PCE), attributed to reduced shunt resistance and increased series resistance due to vanadium oxidation state changes.
Conclusions:
- Low-temperature, solution-processed V₂Oₓ films are a viable alternative to vacuum-deposited layers for OPVs.
- Optimized annealing conditions are crucial for balancing film properties, stability, and device efficiency.
- Higher annealing temperatures can negatively affect OPV performance by altering the vanadium oxide's electronic characteristics.
