Roll-to-Roll Processing of Inverted Polymer Solar Cells using Hydrated Vanadium(V)Oxide as a PEDOT:PSS Replacement

The use of hydrated vanadium(V)oxide as a replacement of the commonly employed hole transporting material PEDOT:PSS was explored in this work. Polymer solar cells were prepared by spin coating on glass. Polymer solar cells and modules comprising 16 serially connected cells were prepared using full roll-to-roll (R2R) processing of all layers. The devices were prepared on flexible polyethyleneterphthalate (PET) and had the structure PET/ITO/ZnO/P3HT:PCBM/V2O5·(H2O)n/Ag. The ITO and silver electrodes were processed and patterned by use of screen printing. The zinc oxide, P3HT:PCBM and vanadium(V)oxide layers were processed by slot-die coating. The hydrated vanadium(V)oxide layer was slot-die coated using an isopropanol solution of vanadyl-triisopropoxide (VTIP). Coating experiments were carried out to establish the critical thickness of the hydrated vanadium(V)oxide layer by varying the concentration of the VTIP precursor over two orders of magnitude. Hydrated vanadium(V)oxide layers were characterized by profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) for completed modules was up to 0.18%, in contrast to single cells where efficiencies of 0.4% were achieved. Stability tests under indoor and outdoor conditions were accomplished over three weeks on a solar tracker.

[1]  Jan Fyenbo,et al.  Product integration of compact roll-to-roll processed polymer solar cell modules: methods and manufacture using flexographic printing, slot-die coating and rotary screen printing , 2010 .

[2]  Frederik C. Krebs,et al.  Business, market and intellectual property analysis of polymer solar cells , 2010 .

[3]  Mikkel Jørgensen,et al.  Ultra fast and parsimonious materials screening for polymer solar cells using differentially pumped slot-die coating. , 2010, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[4]  Jan Fyenbo,et al.  Grid-connected polymer solar panels: initial considerations of cost, lifetime, and practicality. , 2010, Optics express.

[5]  Mikkel Jørgensen,et al.  Upscaling of polymer solar cell fabrication using full roll-to-roll processing. , 2010, Nanoscale.

[6]  Jan Fyenbo,et al.  Manufacture, integration and demonstration of polymer solar cells in a lamp for the “Lighting Africa” initiative , 2010 .

[7]  F. Krebs,et al.  Using light-induced thermocleavage in a roll-to-roll process for polymer solar cells. , 2010, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[8]  Roar R. Søndergaard,et al.  Advanced materials and processes for polymer solar cell devices , 2010 .

[9]  John R. Reynolds,et al.  A round robin study of flexible large-area roll-to-roll processed polymer solar cell modules , 2009 .

[10]  Frederik C. Krebs,et al.  All solution roll-to-roll processed polymer solar cells free from indium-tin-oxide and vacuum coating steps , 2009 .

[11]  F. Krebs,et al.  A roll-to-roll process to flexible polymer solar cells: model studies, manufacture and operational stability studies , 2009 .

[12]  Ching-Fuh Lin,et al.  Solution-processed vanadium oxide interlayer for improving the performance of polymer/ZnO nanorod hybrid solar cells , 2009, 2009 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC).

[13]  Frederik C. Krebs,et al.  Polymer solar cell modules prepared using roll-to-roll methods: Knife-over-edge coating, slot-die coating and screen printing , 2009 .

[14]  Ole Hagemann,et al.  A complete process for production of flexible large area polymer solar cells entirely using screen printing—First public demonstration , 2009 .

[15]  F. Krebs.  Fabrication and processing of polymer solar cells: A review of printing and coating techniques , 2009 .

[16]  Christoph J. Brabec,et al.  Organic tandem solar cells: A review , 2009 .

[17]  Christoph J. Brabec,et al.  The impact of water vapor transmission rate on the lifetime of flexible polymer solar cells , 2008 .

[18]  O. Bunk,et al.  Simulating X-ray diffraction of textured films , 2008 .

[19]  Z. Xie,et al.  Efficient top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes with a V2O5 modified silver anode , 2007 .

[20]  N. S. Sariciftci,et al.  Conjugated polymer-based organic solar cells. , 2007, Chemical reviews.

[21]  G. Cao,et al.  Synthesis and Enhanced Intercalation Properties of Nanostructured Vanadium Oxides , 2006 .

[22]  Vishal Shrotriya,et al.  Transition metal oxides as the buffer layer for polymer photovoltaic cells , 2006 .

[23]  R. P. Bertram,et al.  Investigation of chromophore-chromophore interaction by electro-optic measurements, linear dichroism, x-ray scattering, and density-functional calculations. , 2005, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[24]  Carlos Frederico de Oliveira Graeff,et al.  Thermal annealing effects on vanadium pentoxide xerogel films , 2005, Ecletica Quimica.

[25]  M. Kanatzidis,et al.  Structure of V(2)O(5)*nH(2)O xerogel solved by the atomic pair distribution function technique. , 2002, Journal of the American Chemical Society.