Influence of doped-charge transport layers on the photovoltaic performance of donor-acceptor blend p-i-n type organic solar cells

Abstract

This report demonstrates external power conversion efficiencies of 2% under 100 mW/cm² simulated AM1.5 illumination for organic thin-film photovoltaic cells using a phthalocyanine-fullerene (ZnPc/C₆₀) bulk heterojunction as an active layer, embedded into a p-i-n type architecture with doped wide-gap charge transport layers. For an optically optimized device, we found internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of above 80% under short circuit conditions. Such optically thin cells with high internal quantum efficiency are an important step towards high efficiency tandem cells. The p-i-n architecture allows for the design of solar cells with high internal quantum efficiency where only the photoactive region absorbs visible light and recombination losses at contacts are avoided. The I-V characteristics, power conversion efficiencies, the dependence of short circuit current on incident white light intensity, incident photon to collected electron efficiency (IPCE) and absorption spectra of the active layer system are discussed.

KEY WORDS: Doped-charge transport layers, Organic solar cells, Photovoltaic cells,

Phthalocyanine-fullerene

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2004, 18(1), 101-109.