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Effects of air and light exposure on the opto-electronic properties of polymer:fullerene solar cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2011

Antonietta De Sio ,
Enrico Da Como ,
Elizabeth von Hauff  and
Jürgen Parisi
Antonietta De Sio
Affiliation:
Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, GERMANY
Enrico Da Como
Affiliation:
Photonics and Optoelectronics Group, Department of Physics and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich 80799, Germany
Elizabeth von Hauff
Affiliation:
Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, GERMANY
Jürgen Parisi
Affiliation:
Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, GERMANY
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Abstract

In this study we investigate how exposure to ambient air and light during device processing affects the opto-electronic properties of poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) : [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) bulk heterojunction solar cells (BHJ). The properties of pure P3HT layers prepared in an inert atmosphere, under ambient conditions, and additionally degraded under light in ambient conditions were investigated using photoluminescence (PL) and photoinduced absorption (PIA). It was observed that exposure to air during processing leads to oxygen doping of the polymer. Exposure to air combined with light was found to significantly decrease the PL and PIA signals. The current-voltage (I-V) and external quantum efficiency (EQE) characteristics of solar cells fabricated in an inert atmosphere were compared to solar cells processed under ambient conditions. It was observed that processing in air leads to a reduction in the photocurrent in the devices which is attributed to electron trapping by oxygen in the active layer.

Keywords

polymeroptoelectronicenergy generation
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1286: Symposium E – Molecular and Hybrid Materials for Electronics and Photonics , 2011 , mrsf10-1286-e08-61
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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