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

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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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany

    Antonietta De Sio, Elizabeth von Hauff & Jürgen Parisi

  2. Photonics and Optoelectronics Group, Department of Physics and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, 80799, Germany

    Enrico Da Como

Authors
  1. Antonietta De Sio
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  2. Enrico Da Como
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  3. Elizabeth von Hauff
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  4. Jürgen Parisi
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De Sio, A., Da Como, E., von Hauff, E. et al. Effects of air and light exposure on the opto-electronic properties of polymer:fullerene solar cells. MRS Online Proceedings Library 1286, 1108 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2011.238

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2011.238

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