• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2010년도 제39회 하계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.316-316
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• 2010

Thin films spin-coated from solvent solutions are characterized by solution parameters and spin-coating process. In this study, performance characteristics of polymer solar cells were investigated with changing solution parameters such as solvent and additives. The phase-separation between polymer and fullerene is needed to make the percolation pathway for better transportation of hole and electron in polymer solar cells. For this reason, cooperative effects of solvent mixtures adding additives with distinct solubility have been studied recently. In this study, chlorobezene, 1, 2-dichlorbenzene, and chloroform were used as solvent. 1, 8-diiodoctaned and 1, 8-octanedithiol were used as additives and were added into poly(3-hexylthiophene-2, 5-diyl)/[6, 6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM) blends. Pre-patterned ITO glass was cleaned using ultrasonication in mixed solvent with ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and acetone. PEDOT:PSS was spin-coated on to the ITO substrate at 3000rpm and was baked at $120^{\circ}C$ for 10min on the hotplate. The prepared solution was spin-coated at 1000rpm and the spin-coated thin film was dried in the Petri dishes. Al electrode was deposited on the thin film by thermal evaporation. The devices were annealed at $120^{\circ}C$ for 30min. By adding 2.5 volume percent of additives into the chlorobenzene from that bulk heterojunction films consisting of P3HT/PCBM, the power efficiency (AM 1.5G conditions) was increased from 2.16% to 2.69% and 3.12% respectively. We have investigated the effect of additives in P3HT/PCBM blends and the film characteristics and the film characteristics including J-V characteristics, absorption, photoluminescence, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy to mainly depict the morphology control by doping additives.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2010년도 제39회 하계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.238-239
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• 2010

Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) is one of the widely-used secondary dopants in order to enhance the conductivity of poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) film. In this work, we investigated the effect of DMSO doping in to PEDOT:PSS on the electrical performance of the bulk heterojunction photovoltaics consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2, 5-diyl) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester. Correlation between the power conversion efficiency and the mechanism of improving conductivity, surface morphology, and contact properties was examined. The PEDOT:PSS films, which contain different concentration of DMSO, have been prepared and annealed at different annealing temperatures. The mixture of DMSO and PEDOT:PSS was prepared with a ratio of 1%, 5%, 15%, 25%, 35%, 45%, 55% by volume of DMSO, respectively. The DMSO-contained PEDOT:PSS solutions were stirred for 1hr at $40^{\circ}C$, then spin-coated on the ultra-sonicated glass. The spin-coated films were baked for 10min at $65^{\circ}C$, $85^{\circ}C$, and $120^{\circ}C$ in air. In order to investigate the electrical performance, P3HT:PCBM blended film was deposited with thickness of 150nm on DMSO-doped PEDOT:PSS layer. After depositing 100nm of Al, the device was post-annealed for 30min at $120^{\circ}C$ in vacuum. The fabricated cells, in this study, have been characterized by using several techniques such as UV-Visible spectrum, 4-point probe, J-V characteristics, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The power conversion efficiency (AM 1.5G conditions) was increased from 0.91% to 2.35% by tuning DMSO doping ratio and annealing temperature. It is believed that the improved power conversion efficiency of the photovoltaics is attributed to the increased conductivity, leading to increasing short-circuit current in DMSO-doped PEDOT:PSS layer.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2012년도 제42회 동계 정기 학술대회 초록집
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• pp.134-134
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• 2012

We investigated the interface of poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and C61-butyric acid methylester (PCBM) by using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES). These are the most widely used materials for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells due to their high efficiency. Study of the BHJ interfaces is difficult because the organic films are typically prepared by spin coating in ambient conditions. This is incompatible with the interface electronic structure probes such as PES, which requires ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Study of interface requires gradual deposition of thin films that is also incompatible with the spin coating process. In this work, we used electrospray vacuum deposition (EVD) technique to deposit P3HT and PCBM in high vacuum conditions. EVD allows us to form polymer thin films onto ITO substrate in a step-wise manner directly from solutions and to use PES without exposing the sample to the ambient condition. Although the morphology of the EVD deposited P3HT films observed by optical and atomic force microscopes is quite different from that of the spin coated ones, the valence region spectra were similar. PCBM was deposited on the P3HT film in a similar manner and the energy level alignment between these two materials was studied. We discuss the relation between Voc of P3HT:PCBM solar cell and HOMO-LUMO energy offset obtained in this study.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2009년도 제38회 동계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.93-93
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• 2010

Semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) have recently attracted considerable interest for use in photovoltaics. Band gaps of NQDs can be tuned over a considerable range by varying the particle size thereby allowing enhance absorption of solar spectrum. NQDs, synthesized using colloidal routes, are solution processable and promise for a large-area fabrication. Recent advancements in multiple-exciton generation in NQD solutions have afforded possible efficiency improvements. Various architectures have attempted to utilize the NQDs in photovoltaics, such as NQD-sensitized solar cell, NQD-bulk-heterojuction solar cell and etc. Here we have fabricated CdSe NQDs with the band gap of 1.8 eV to 2.1 eV on thin-layers of p-type organic crystallites (1.61 eV) to realize a donor-acceptor type heterojuction solar cell. Simple structure as it was, we could control the interface of electrode-p-layer, and n-p-layer and monitor the following efficiency changes. Specifically, surface molecules adsorbed on the NQDs were critical to enhance the carrier transfer among the n-layer where we could verify by measuring the photo-response from the NQD layers only. Further modifying the annealing temperature after the deposition of NQDs on p-layers allowed higher conversion efficiencies in the device.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.55-60
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• 2019

Polymer:nonfullerene solar cells with an inverted-type device structure were fabricated by employing the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layers, which are composed of poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophene-2-yl)-benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene))-alt-(5,5-(1',3'-di-2-thienyl-5',7-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo[1',2'-c:4',5'-c']dithiophene-4,8-dione))] (PBDB-T) and 3,9-bis(6-methyl-2-methylene-(3-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-indanone))-5,5,11,11-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-dithieno[2,3-d:2',3-d']-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene (IT-M). The BHJ layers were formed on a pre-patterned indium-tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrate by spin-coating using the blend solutions of PBDB-T and IT-M. The solar cell performances were investigated with respect to the cell position on the ITO-glass substrates. In addition, the short-term shelf lifetime of solar cells was tested by storing the PBDB-T:IT-M solar cells in a glovebox filled with inert gas. The results showed that the performance of solar cells was relatively higher for the cells close to the center of substrates, which was maintained even after storage for 24 h. In particular, the PCE of PBDB-T:IT-M solar cells was marginally decreased after storage for 24 h owing to the slightly reduced fill factor, even though the open circuit voltage was unchanged after 24 h.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.107-113
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• 2020

Here we report the long-term stability of polymer:nonfullerene solar cells which were stored under dark and indoor light condition. The polymer:nonfullerene solar cells were fabricated using bulk heterojunction (BHJ) layers of poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl) thiophen-2-yl)-benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene))-alt-(5,5-(1',3'-di-2-thienyl-5',7-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo[1',2'-c:4',5'-c']dithiophene-4,8-dione))] (PBDB-T) and 3,9-bis(6-methyl-2-methylene-(3-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-indanone))-5,5,11,11-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-dithieno[2,3-d:2',3-d']-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene (IT-M). To investigate their long-term stability, the PBDB-T:IT-M solar cells were stored in an argon-filled glove box. One set of the fabricated solar cells was completely covered with an aluminum foil to prevent any effect of light, whereas another set was exposed to indoor light. The solar cells were subjected to a regular performance measurement for 40 weeks. Results revealed that the PBDB-T:IT-M solar cells underwent a gradual decay in performance irrespective of the storage condition. However, the PBDB-T:IT-M solar cells stored under indoor light condition exhibited relatively lower power conversion efficiency (PCE) than those stored under the dark. The inferior stability of the solar cells under indoor light was explained by the noticeably changed optical absorption spectra and dark spot generation, indicative of degradations in the BHJ layers.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권9호
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• pp.3061-3070
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• 2012

Novel 2-hexylthieno[3,2-b]thiophene-containing conjugated molecules have been synthesized via a reduction reaction using tin chloride in an acidic medium. They exhibited good solubility in common organic solvents and good self-film and crystal-forming properties. The single-crystalline objects were fabricated by a solvent slow diffusion process and then were employed for fabricating field-effect transistors (FETs) along with thinfilm transistors (TFTs). TFTs made of 5 and 6 exhibited carrier mobility as high as 0.10-0.15 $cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$. The single-crystal-based FET made of 6 showed 0.70 $cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ which was relatively higher than that of the 5-based FET (${\mu}=0.23cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$). In addition, we fabricated organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells with new 2-hexylthieno [3,2-b]thiophene-containing conjugated molecules and methanofullerene [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester ($PC_{61}BM$) without thermal annealing. The ternary system for a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) OPV cell was elaborated using $PC_{61}BM$ and two p-type conjugated molecules such as 5 and 7 for modulating the molecular energy levels. As a result, the OPV cell containing 5, 7, and $PC_{61}BM$ had improved results with an open-circuit voltage of 0.90 V, a short-circuit current density of 2.83 $mA/cm^2$, and a fill factor of 0.31, offering an overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.78%, which was larger than those of the devices made of only molecule 5 (${\eta}$~0.67%) or 7 (${\eta}$~0.46%) with $PC_{61}BM$ under identical weight compositions.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2016년도 제50회 동계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.154.2-154.2
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• 2016

In this work, we introduce a solution-processed CdS interlayer for use in inverted bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, and compare this material to a series of standard organic and inorganic cathode interlayers. Different combinations of solution-processed CdS, ZnO and conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) layers were compared as cathode interlayers on ITO substrates to construct inverted solar cells based on $PTB7:PC_{71}BM$ and a $P3HT:PC_{61}BM$ as photoactive layers. Introduction of a CdS interlayer significantly improved the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of inverted $PTB7:PC_{71}BM$ devices from 2.0% to 4.9%, however, this efficiency was still fairly low compared to benchmark ZnO or CPE interlayers due to a low open circuit voltage ($V_{OC}$), stemming from the deep conduction band energy of CdS. The $V_{OC}$ was greatly improved by introducing an interfacial dipole (CPE) layer on top of the CdS layer, yielding outstanding diode characteristics and a PCE of 6.8%. The best performing interlayer, however, was a single CPE layer alone, which yielded a $V_{OC}$ of 0.727 V, a FF of 63.2%, and a PCE of 7.89%. Using $P3HT:PC_{61}BM$ as an active layer, similar trends were observed. Solar cells without the cathode interlayer yielded a PCE of 0.46% with a poor $V_{OC}$ of 0.197 V and FF of 34.3%. In contrast, the use of hybrid ZnO/CPE layer as the cathode interlayer considerably improved the $V_{OC}$ of 0.599 V and FF of 53.3%, resulting the PCE of 2.99%. Our results indicate that the CdS layer yields excellent diode characteristics, however, performs slightly worse than benchmark ZnO and CPE layers in solar cell devices due to parasitic absorption below 550 nm. These results suggest that the hybrid inorganic/organic interlayer materials are promising candidates as cathode interlayers for high efficiency inverted solar cells through the modification of interface contacts.

• Journal of Information Display
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.145-152
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• 2011

Since the discovery of fullerenes as a class of nanostructure compounds, many potential applications have been suggested for their unusual structures and properties. The isolated pentagon rule (IPR) states that all pentagonal carbon rings are isolated in the most stable fullerene. Fullerenes $C_n$ are a class of spherical carbon allotrope group with unique properties. Electron transfer between fullerenes and other molecules is thought to involve the transfer of electrons between the molecules surrounding the fullerene cage. One class of electron transfer molecules is the methanofullerene derivatives ([6,6]-phenyl $C_{61}$-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), 4-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-[6,6]-phenyl $C_{61}$-butyric acid methyl ester (p-EHO-PCBM), and 4-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-[6,6]-phenyl $C_{61}$-butyric acid (p-EHO-PCBA), 10-12). It has been determined that $C_{60}$ does not obey IPR. Supramolecular complexes 1-9 and 10-12 are shown to possess a previously unreported host.guest interaction for electron transfer processes. The unsaturated, cis-geometry, thiocrown ethers, (1-9) (described as [X-UT-Y], where X and Y indicate the numbers of carbon and sulfur atoms, respectively), are a group of crown ethers that display interesting physiochemical properties in the light of their conformational restriction compared with a corresponding saturated system, as well as the sizes of their cavities. Topological indices have been successfully used to construct mathematical methods that relate structural data to various chemical and physical properties. To establish a good relationship between the structures of 1-9 with 10-12, a new index is introduced, ${\mu}_{cs}$. This index is the ratio of the sum of the number of carbon atoms ($n_c$) and the number of sulfur atoms ($n_s$) to the product of these two numbers for 1-9. In this study, the relationships between this index and oxidation potential ($^{ox}E_1$) of 1-9, as well as the first to third free energies of electron transfer (${\Delta}G_{et(n)}$, for n = 1-3, which is given by the Rehm-Weller equation) between 1-9 and PCBM, p-EHO-PCBM, and p-EHO-PCBA (10-12) as [X-UT-Y]@R(where R is the adduct PCBM, p-EHO-PCBM, and p-EHO-PCBA group) (13-15) supramolecular complexes are presented and investigated.

• 공업화학
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.396-401
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• 2013

Benzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole, carbazole 및 phenanthrene을 기본 골격으로 한 교대공중합체인 poly[9-(2-octyl-dodecyl)-9H-carbazole-alt-4,7-di-thiophen-2-yl-benzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole] (PCD20TBT)와 poly[9,10-bis-(2-octyl-dodecyloxy)-phenanthrene-alt-4,7-di-thiophen-2-yl-benzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole] (PN40TBT)을 Suzuki coupling reaction을 이용하여 중합하였다. 합성한 고분자들은 chloroform, chlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, tetrahydrofuran, toluene과 같은 유기용매에 대한 용해도가 우수하였다. PCD20TBT의 최대흡수 파장과 밴드갭은 각각 535 nm와 1.75 eV이고, PN40TBT의 최대흡수 파장과 밴드갭은 각각 560 nm과 1.97 eV이었다. PCD20TBT의 HOMO 및 LUMO 에너지준위는 각각 - 5.11 eV와 - 3.36 eV이고, PN40TBT의 HOMO 및 LUMO 에너지준위는 각각 -5.31 eV와 -3.34 eV이었다. 합성한 고분자와 (6)-1-(3-(methoxycarbonyl)-{5}-1-phenyl[5,6]-fullerene(PCBM)을 1:2의 중량비로 블랜딩하여 제작한 이종접합형태(bulk heterojunction) 태양전지를 제작하였다. PCD20TBT의 광전변환효율은 0.52%, PN40TBT의 광전변환효율은 0.60%이었다. 그리고 소자의 단락 전류밀도, 충진 인자와 개방전압은 PCD20TBT가 각각 $-1.97mA/cm^2$, 38.2%, 0.69 V이며, PN40TBT의 경우 각각 $-1.77mA/cm^2$, 42.9%, 0.79 V이었다.