Direct and charge transfer mediated photogeneration in polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells

We investigated photogeneration yield and recombination dynamics in blends of poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) and poly[2-methoxy-5-(30,70-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MDMO-PPV) with [6,6]- phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) by means of temperature dependent time delayed collection field (TDCF) measurements. In MDMO-PPV:PC61BM we find a strongly field dependent polaron pair dissociation which can be attributed to geminate recombination in the device. Our findings are in good agreement with field dependent photoluminescence measurements published before, supporting a scenario of polaron pair dissociation via an intermediate charge transfer (CT) state. In contrast, polaron pair dissociation in P3HT:PC61BM shows only a very weak field dependence, indicating an almost field independent polaron pair dissociation or a direct photogeneration. Furthermore, we found Langevin recombination for MDMO-PPV:PC61BM and strongly reduced Langevin recombination for P3HT:PC61BM.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Photocurrent in Organic Solar Cells

A quite new approach to low-cost mass production of flexible solar cells are organic photovoltaics. Even though the device efficiencies increased rapidly during the last years, further imporvements are essential for a successful market launch. One important factor influencing the device efficiency is the photocurrent of a solar cell, which is defined as the difference between the current under illumination and in the dark. In case of organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells it is — in contrast to inorganic devices — dependent on the applied bias voltage. The voltage dependence results in a reduced fill factor and thus an even more pronounced influence of the photocurrent on the device efficiency. It is therefore crucial to understand the underlying processes determining the photocurrent in order to be able to further improve the solar cell performance. In a first step the photocurrent of P3HT:PC61BM devices was investigated by a pulsed measurement technique in order to prevent disturbing influences due to device heating under continous illumination. The resulting photocurrent was hyperbolic tangent like and featured a point symmetry, whose origin and meaning were discussed. In addition, the photocurrent was described by a combined model of Braun–Onsager and Sokel–Hughes theory for field dependent polaron pair dissociation and charge extraction, respectively. After this macroscopic view on the photocurrent, the focus of this work moves to the more basic processes determining the photocurrent: charge photogeneration and recombination. In a comparative study the field-dependence of these was investigated by time-delayed collection field (TDCF) measurements for two well-known reference systems, namely P3HT:PC61BM and MDMO-PPV:PC61BM. It was possible to identify two different dominating scenarios for the generation of free charge carriers. The first one — via a thermalized charge transfer state (CTS) — is clearly influenced by geminate recombination and therefore less efficient. In the second scenario, the free charge carriers are either generated directly or via an excited, “hot” CTS. In addition, clear differences in the nongeminate recombination dynamics of both material systems were found. Similar studies were also be presented with two modern low bandgap polymers which only differ by the bridging atom in the cyclopentadithiophene (PCPDTBT:PC71BM vs. Si-PCPDTBT:PC71BM). Such small changes in the chemical structure were already sufficient to affect the charge photogeneration as well as the morphology of the blend. These findings were set into relation to current–voltage characteristics in order to discuss the origin of the clear differences in the solar cell performance of both materials. Another crucial parameter limiting the solar cell efficiency is the builtin potential of a device. Within the range of semiconducting pn-junctions, Mott–Schottky analysis is an established method to determine the built-in potential. As it was originally derived for abrupt pn-junctions, its validity for organic BHJ solar cells — a bipolar, effective medium — was discussed. Experimental findings as well as the contradictions to Mott–Schottky theory indicated, that a direct transfer of this method to organic photovoltaics is not appropriate. Finally, the results obtained in the framework of the MOPS-project (Massengedruckte Organische Papier-Solarzellen) will be presented, in which the first completely roll-to-roll printed paper solar cells were realized

Photostrom in Organischen Solarzellen

A quite new approach to low-cost mass production of flexible solar cells are organic photovoltaics. Even though the device efficiencies increased rapidly during the last years, further imporvements are essential for a successful market launch. One important factor influencing the device efficiency is the photocurrent of a solar cell, which is defined as the difference between the current under illumination and in the dark. In case of organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells it is — in contrast to inorganic devices — dependent on the applied bias voltage. The voltage dependence results in a reduced fill factor and thus an even more pronounced influence of the photocurrent on the device efficiency. It is therefore crucial to understand the underlying processes determining the photocurrent in order to be able to further improve the solar cell performance. In a first step the photocurrent of P3HT:PC61BM devices was investigated by a pulsed measurement technique in order to prevent disturbing influences due to device heating under continous illumination. The resulting photocurrent was hyperbolic tangent like and featured a point symmetry, whose origin and meaning were discussed. In addition, the photocurrent was described by a combined model of Braun–Onsager and Sokel–Hughes theory for field dependent polaron pair dissociation and charge extraction, respectively. After this macroscopic view on the photocurrent, the focus of this work moves to the more basic processes determining the photocurrent: charge photogeneration and recombination. In a comparative study the field-dependence of these was investigated by time-delayed collection field (TDCF) measurements for two well-known reference systems, namely P3HT:PC61BM and MDMO-PPV:PC61BM. It was possible to identify two different dominating scenarios for the generation of free charge carriers. The first one — via a thermalized charge transfer state (CTS) — is clearly influenced by geminate recombination and therefore less efficient. In the second scenario, the free charge carriers are either generated directly or via an excited, “hot” CTS. In addition, clear differences in the nongeminate recombination dynamics of both material systems were found. Similar studies were also be presented with two modern low bandgap polymers which only differ by the bridging atom in the cyclopentadithiophene (PCPDTBT:PC71BM vs. Si-PCPDTBT:PC71BM). Such small changes in the chemical structure were already sufficient to affect the charge photogeneration as well as the morphology of the blend. These findings were set into relation to current–voltage characteristics in order to discuss the origin of the clear differences in the solar cell performance of both materials. Another crucial parameter limiting the solar cell efficiency is the builtin potential of a device. Within the range of semiconducting pn-junctions, Mott–Schottky analysis is an established method to determine the built-in potential. As it was originally derived for abrupt pn-junctions, its validity for organic BHJ solar cells — a bipolar, effective medium — was discussed. Experimental findings as well as the contradictions to Mott–Schottky theory indicated, that a direct transfer of this method to organic photovoltaics is not appropriate. Finally, the results obtained in the framework of the MOPS-project (Massengedruckte Organische Papier-Solarzellen) will be presented, in which the first completely roll-to-roll printed paper solar cells were realized.Ein relativ neuer Ansatz für eine günstige Massenproduktion flexibler Solarzellen ist dabei die organische Photovoltaik. Obwohl die Wirkungsgrade in den letzten Jahren schnell anstiegen, sind weitere Verbesserungen für eine erfolgreiche Markteinführung dringend nötig. Ein wichtiger Faktor ist dabei der Photostrom einer Solarzelle, der als Differenz zwischen Hell- und Dunkelstrom definiert ist. Im Gegensatz zu anorganischen Solarzellen ist dieser im Falle der organischen “bulk heterojunction”(Heterogemisch, Abk.: BHJ) Solarzellen von der angelegten Spannung abhängig. Dies führt zu einer Reduzierung des Füllfaktors und so zu einem noch stärkeren Einlufss des Photostroms auf die Leistung der Solarzelle. Es ist daher äußerst wichtig die grundlegenden, den Photostrom bestimmenden Prozesse zu verstehen, um die Leistung der organischen Solarzellen weiter steigern zu können. Zunächst wurde der Photostrom von P3HT:PC61BM Solarzellen mittels einer gepulsten Messmethode untersucht, die störende Einflüsse durch das Erwärmen der Probe unter kontinuierlicher Beleuchtung verhindern soll. Der resultierenden Photostrom wies einen dem Tangens Hyperbolicus ähnlichen Verlauf auf und zeigte dabei eine Punktsymmetrie, deren Ursprung und Bedeutung im Verlauf dieser Arbeit genauer diskutiert werden. Für die Beschreibung des spannungsabhängigen Photostroms wird außerdem ein kombiniertes Modell vorgestellt, welches auf den Theorien von Braun–Onsager und Sokel–Hughes für die feldabhängige Polaronenpaartrennung bzw. die Ladungsträgerextraktion basiert. Nach der makroskopischen Betrachtung des Photostroms wird sich der Fokus dann auf die grundlegenden, den Photostrom bestimmenden Prozesse verschieben: Photogenerierung und Rekombination der Ladungsträger. Die Feldabhängigkeit dieser Prozesse wurde dabei mittels time-delayed collection field (TDCF) Messungen an den beiden Referenz-Systemen P3HT:PC61BM und MDMO-PPV:PC61BM untersucht. Dadurch ließen sich neben deutlichen Unterschieden in der nichtgeminalen Rekombinationsdynamik freier Ladungsträger auch bei deren Photogeneration zwei unterschiedliche dominierende Prozesse identifizieren: Im ersten Szenario werden freie Ladungsträger über einen relaxierten Ladungstransferzustand (“charge transfer state” —CTS) generiert. Dieser Prozess ist jedoch durch einen deutlichen Einfluss der geminalen Rekombination stark feldabhängig und somit weniger effizient. Im zweiten Szenario werden die freien Ladungsträger entweder direkt oder über einen angeregten (“hot”) CTS erzeugt. Ähnliche Versuche wurden zudem für zwei neuartige Polymere mit niedrigen Bandlücken präsentiert, die sich jeweils nur durch das Brückenatom im Cyclopentadithiophen unterscheiden (PCPDTBT:PC71BM im Vergleich zu Si-PCPDTBT:PC71BM). Dies hatte jedoch deutliche Auswirkungen auf die Photogeneration freier Ladungsträger und die Morphologie der aktiven Schicht. Die entsprechenden Ergebnisse wurden dann in Relation zu den Strom–Spannungs-Kennlinien gesetzt, um die deutlichen Unterschiede in der Effizienz der Solarzellen zu diskutieren. Ein weiterer wichtiger, die Leistung einer Solarzelle begrenzender Parameter ist deren Diffusionsspannung (built-in potential, VBi). In der Physik halbleitender pn-Übergange ist die Mott–Schottky Analyse eine etablierte Methode um VBi zu bestimmen. Diese wurde ursprünglich für abrupte pn-Übergänge hergeleitet, weshalb hier deren Gültigkeit für organische BHJ Solarzellen — und damit ein bipolares, effektives Medium — diskutiert wird. Die experimentellen Ergebnisse ebenso wie die Widersprüche zur Mott–Schottky Theorie deuten darauf hin, dass eine direkte Übertragbarkeit dieser Methode auf organische BHJ Solarzellen nicht gegeben ist. Abschließend werden noch die Ergebnisse des MOPS-Projekts (Massengedruckte Organische Papier-Solarzellen) präsentiert, in dessen Verlauf die ersten komplett auf Papier gedruckten Solarzellen entwickelt wurden