Open AccessContacts on polyester textile as a flexible substrate for solar cells
Author(s) -
Diyaf Adel G.,
Mather Robert R.,
Wilson John I.B.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
iet renewable power generation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 76
ISSN - 1752-1424
DOI - 10.1049/iet-rpg.2013.0236
Subject(s) - pedot:pss , materials science , polyaniline , conductive polymer , composite material , polyester , polymer , substrate (aquarium) , coating , aluminium , electrical conductor , polymerization , oceanography , geology
In the present work, the authors have studied conductive surfaces on polyester fabrics by using two types of commercially available conductive polymers; polyaniline and poly (3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐poly (styrenesulphonate) (PEDOT: PSS) with 100 nm aluminium thin film evaporated on top of the polymer so the fabric becomes a conductive substrate for inorganic thin film solar cells. Conductive polymer surfaces on woven polyester fabrics were obtained by knife‐over‐table coating technique. Surface resistivities for polyaniline and PEDOT: PSS coated fabrics were measured and found in the range of 400 × 10 3 and 1 × 10 3 Ω/□, respectively. Thermal stability tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of specific periods of heal treatment at different elevated temperatures on resistance of polymer coated conducting textiles. PEDOT: PSS exhibited better stability than panipol. According to long term tests, PEDOT: PSS coated samples showed improvement in conductivity over 3 days whereas panipol showed the opposite. Transmission Line Model tests were performed to measure aluminium/polymer contact resistances which were found to be 120 × 10 3 Ω for polyaniline and about 46.3 Ω for PEDOT: PSS. Mechanical bending tests for aluminium/PEDOT: PSS/fabric samples showed that the polymer can maintain the conductivity of samples by bridging micro‐cracks in the metal film.