AN INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC SOLAR CELLS Alexander Parker

WHY DO WE NEED SOLAR?

Population

(Billion)

Source: Google Public Data

Source: BP

WHY DO WE NEED SOLAR?

TYPES OF SOLAR CELL

Inorganic devices: 24.7%

Polymer devices: 8%

Dye Sensitised devices: 11%

Thin film organic devices: 9.8%

ORGANIC DEVICES: A HISTORY

Single layer (MIM): 0.5%

Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS): 0.7%

Bilayer: 0.95% (Tang)

Tandem cell : 9.8 %

ORGANIC DEVICES: PRINCIPALS OF OPERATION

Anode Electrode

Donor Acceptor

Cathode Electrode

1. Absorption of a photon

2. Formation of an exciton 3. Diffusion of the

exciton4. Dissociation of the exciton5. Charge transport

6. Charge collection

ORGANIC DEVICES: ARCHITECTURE

Bilayer

Inverted

Bulk Heterojunction

ORGANIC DEVICES: MATERIALS

Donors Copper

pthalocyanine (CuPc)

Boro Subthalocyanine Chloride (SubPc)

Acceptors C60

Extracting materials Bathocuproine (BCP) Molybdoenum Oxide

(MoOx)

PROJECT DIRECTIONS: TRANSITION METAL OXIDES

Transition metal oxides widely used in organic devices. ITO electrode Zn extracting layer MoOx

Aim to use Aluminium doped Zinc Oxide for several purposes Replace BCP Replace ITO