• Energy Research

We show how molecular doping can be implemented to improve the performance of solution processed bulk heterojunction solar cells based on a low-bandgap polymer mixed with a fullerene derivative. The molecular dopant 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4-TCNQ) is introduced into blends of poly[2,6(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b0]-dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) via co-solution in a range of concentrations from 0% to 1%. We demonstrate that the hole conductivity and mobility increase with doping concentration using field-effect measurements. Photoinduced absorption (PIA) spectroscopy reveals that the polaron density in the blends increases with doping. We show that the open circuit voltage and short circuit current of the corresponding solar cells can be improved by doping at 0.5%, resulting in improved power conversion efficiencies. The increase in performance is discussed in terms of trap filling due to the increased carrier density, and reduced recombination correlated to the improvement in mobility.

Polymer/fullerene solar cells with an inverted layer sequence and free from indium tin oxide (ITO) are presented in this study. We concentrate on critical interface effects in inverted devices and compare different semi-transparent front contacts, such as ultra-thin Au films and Au grid structures. The solvent of the absorber blend was found to have a distinct impact on the stability of the initially deposited cathode layer. Furthermore, we did wettability studies of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) on the active layer and determined the surface energy of polymer/fullerene blends. Ultra-thin Au films with varying thickness were investigated in terms of sheet resistance and transmittance. The optimal thickness was achieved via simulation of organic solar cells. Finally, we present a comparison of inverted solar cells with an active area of about 1 cm2 both with Au films and Au grid structures as front contact in terms of photovoltaic performance, reproducibility, and degradation. Notably better results were achieved when using Au grid structures as front contact, even with a not optimized grid geometry.

AbstractImproving the long-term stability of perovskite solar cells is critical to the deployment of this technology. Despite the great emphasis laid on stability-related investigations, publications lack consistency in experimental procedures and parameters reported. It is therefore challenging to reproduce and compare results and thereby develop a deep understanding of degradation mechanisms. Here, we report a consensus between researchers in the field on procedures for testing perovskite solar cell stability, which are based on the International Summit on Organic Photovoltaic Stability (ISOS) protocols. We propose additional procedures to account for properties specific to PSCs such as ion redistribution under electric fields, reversible degradation and to distinguish ambient-induced degradation from other stress factors. These protocols are not intended as a replacement of the existing qualification standards, but rather they aim to unify the stability assessment and to understand failure modes. Finally, we identify key procedural information which we suggest reporting in publications to improve reproducibility and enable large data set analysis.

Thermochromic vanadium dioxide (VO2) undergoes a reversible semiconductor‐to‐metal transition, a property that can be exploited for reduction of the energy consumption in buildings using smart windows. Herein, high‐performance thermochromic three‐layer ZrO2/V0.98W0.02O2/ZrO2 coatings prepared on ultrathin flexible glass (0.1 mm) without any post annealing in a pilot‐scale roll‐to‐roll deposition device are presented. The V0.98W0.02O2 layers are deposited using a reactive high‐power impulse magnetron sputtering with an oxygen flow control at a substrate temperature of approximately 350 °C. The optimized coatings (width of 0.3 m and length over 2.6 m) exhibit a transition temperature of 28 °C, an integral luminous transmittance over 50%, and a modulation of the solar energy transmittance of about 10%. The deposition process is optimized, and the elemental composition (Rutherford backscattering spectrometry), design (field‐emission scanning electron microscopy), phase composition (X‐ray diffraction), and thermochromic properties (spectrophotometry) of these high‐performance VO2‐based coatings in the context of potential for commercial applications are characterized.

We report on the application of ZnO:Al as the transparent conductive oxide in high performance inverted polymer solar cells. We show that the optimized inverted architecture, which does not contain low work function metals or water-based transport layers, can be employed without sacrificing device efficiency. The widely studied P3HT:PCBM donor–acceptor system was chosen for the active layer. ZnO:Al layers were produced by dc-magnetron sputtering on glass substrates and used as the cathode. The thickness of ZnO:Al was optimized to achieve a low sheet resistance while maintaining high transmission. The resulting ZnO:Al layers were smoother than the reference ITO samples, and the active layers could be processed directly onto ZnO:Al without employing additional buffer layers. The structure of the top anodic contact was also optimized. Initial devices with an Au layer demonstrated poor results, and device performance improved when a MoO3/Ag anode was used. Control devices in the standard forward structure using commercial ITO coated glass substrates were compared to the ZnO:Al based cells. Higher photocurrents were obtained in the inverted structures than in the ITO-based solar cells due to the higher transmittance of ZnO:Al in the spectral range where the blend absorbs.

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 116 + (2013) 176-181. doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2013.04.019