Polymer Solar Cells with Efficiency >10% Enabled via a Facile Solution‐Processed Al‐Doped ZnO Electron Transporting Layer |
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Authors: | Lethy Krishnan Jagadamma Mohammed Al‐Senani Abdulrahman El‐Labban Issam Gereige Guy O. Ngongang Ndjawa Jorge C. D. Faria Taesoo Kim Kui Zhao Federico Cruciani Dalaver H. Anjum Martyn A. McLachlan Pierre M. Beaujuge Aram Amassian |
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Affiliation: | 1. Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center (SPERC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia;2. Department of Materials & Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, UK;3. Advanced Nanofabrication, Imaging and Characterization Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia |
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Abstract: | A facile and low‐temperature (125 °C) solution‐processed Al‐doped ZnO (AZO) buffer layer functioning very effectively as electron accepting/hole blocking layer for a wide range of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction systems, yielding power conversion efficiency in excess of 10% (8%) on glass (plastic) substrates is described. The ammonia‐treatment of the aqueous AZO nanoparticle solution produces compact, crystalline, and smooth thin films, which retain the aluminum doping, and eliminates/reduces the native defects by nitrogen incorporation, making them good electron transporters and energetically matched with the fullerene acceptor. It is demonstrated that highly efficient solar cells can be achieved without the need for additional surface chemical modifications of the buffer layer, which is a common requirement for many metal oxide buffer layers to yield efficient solar cells. Also highly efficient solar cells are achieved with thick AZO films (>50 nm), highlighting the suitability of this material for roll‐to‐roll coating. Preliminary results on the applicability of AZO as electron injection layer in F8BT‐based polymer light emitting diode are also presented. |
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Keywords: | Al‐doped ZnO organic solar cells electron transporting layers flexible solar cells solution processing |
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