A Versatile Approach to
Organic Photovoltaics Evaluation
Using White Light Pulse and Microwave Conductivity
- Publication date
- Publisher
Abstract
State-of-the-art low band gap conjugated polymers have
been investigated
for application in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) to achieve efficient
conversion of the wide spectrum of sunlight into electricity. A remarkable
improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE) has been achieved
through the use of innovative materials and device structures. However,
a reliable technique for the rapid screening of the materials and
processes is a prerequisite toward faster development in this area.
Here we report the realization of such a versatile evaluation technique
for bulk heterojunction OPVs by the combination of time-resolved microwave
conductivity (TRMC) and submicrosecond white light pulse from a Xe-flash
lamp. Xe-flash TRMC allows examination of the OPV active layer without
requiring fabrication of the actual device. The transient photoconductivity
maxima, involving information on generation efficiency, mobility,
and lifetime of charge carriers in four well-known low band gap polymers
blended with phenyl-C<sub>61</sub>-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM),
were confirmed to universally correlate with the PCE divided by the
open circuit voltage (PCE/<i>V</i><sub>oc</sub>), offering
a facile way to predict photovoltaic performance without device fabrication