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Effects of Postproduction Treatment on Plastic Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Padinger F.,
Rittberger R.S.,
Sariciftci N.S.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200390011
Subject(s) - materials science , energy conversion efficiency , quantum efficiency , short circuit , organic solar cell , polymer solar cell , optoelectronics , conjugated system , current density , polymer , chemical engineering , voltage , composite material , electrical engineering , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Efficiencies of organic solar cells based on an interpenetrating network of a conjugated polymer and a fullerene as donor and acceptor materials still need to be improved for commercial use. We have developed a postproduction treatment that improves the performance of solar cells based on poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]‐phenyl C 61 ‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) by means of a tempering cycle at elevated temperatures in which an external voltage is simultaneously applied, resulting in a significant increase of the short‐circuit current. Using this postproduction treatment, an enhancement of the short‐circuit current density, I sc , to 8.5 mA cm –2 under illumination with white light at an illumination intensity of 800 W m –2 and an increase in external quantum efficiency (IPCE, incident photon to collected electron efficiency) to 70 % are demonstrated.