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Fabrication and Characterization of Organic Solar Cell Nanocomposite Materials

Duan, Ruozhu
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1395406673

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Science, University of Toledo, Electrical Engineering.
Organic solar cells (OSCs) offer the advantages of low fabrication cost, light weight and flexibility. Current research in this field has focused on increasing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells beyond 5%, as well as improving long term stability and further reducing the fabrication cost. Key issues related to OSC technology include improving the processes of dissociation of photo induced excitons (bound electron-hole pairs), reducing charge recombination and transport losses, and better utilization of the sunlight spectrum. This project represents an effort to assess the feasibility of a new type of Photovoltaics (PV) device structure, namely nanodipole photovoltaics, in the case organic semiconducting host materials. The basic principle of nanodipole PV is based on the idea that the electric field of nanoparticles with uncompensated electric dipoles, which are dispersed in a photoconductor host material, can be used to replace the built-in electric field of p-n or other junctions in conventional PV devices. Thus, nanodipole PV devices can be considered junctionless and they employ active media that are comprised of nanocomposite materials. As part of the project, a process for the fabrication of P3HT:PCBM bulk-heterojunction (BH) solar cell structures was developed, following published information on the topic. As a next step, processes for the fabrication of nanocomposites of P3HT and P3HT: PCBM with commercially acquired nanoparticles of ZnO and BaTiO3 were developed. Thin film of these nanocomposites with various nanoparticles loading levels were fabricated by spin coating on glass and conducting transparent glass substrates. Metal back contacts were deposited to form back contacts for electrical and PV characterization. The films were also characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and spectrophotometry and a study on external-voltage nanodipole alignment in P3HT: ZnO composites were performed. The main results from the project can be summarized in the following. Basic BH P3HT: PCBM device structures, fabricated as a result of this work, showed typical PCE values of 0.9% or slightly above, which is considered adequate for the purposes of this project and in view of equipment and other limitations faced. The introduction of BaTiO3 nanoparticles in P3HT: PCBM did not produce any changes or effects that can be interpreted in terms of nanodipoles electric field and nanodipole PV action. This was most likely due to the fact that the particles had cubic crystalline structure, which is non-ferroelectric and therefore the particles dipole moments were very weak or nonexistent. The introduction of ZnO in P3HT at a concentration that was low enough to guarantee that hybrid BH solar cell devices did not form (i.e., volume concentration of up to 5%), showed an effect in the PV current-voltage characteristics, which was attributed to the existence of nanodipoles and their field.
Daniel Georgiev (Advisor)
79 p.
Engineering

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Duan, R. (2014). Fabrication and Characterization of Organic Solar Cell Nanocomposite Materials [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1395406673

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Duan, Ruozhu. Fabrication and Characterization of Organic Solar Cell Nanocomposite Materials . 2014. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1395406673.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Duan, Ruozhu. "Fabrication and Characterization of Organic Solar Cell Nanocomposite Materials ." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1395406673

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1395406673
228
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This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.