Organic Solar Cells

Clevios™ for Organic Solar Cells

Organic Solar Cells (OSCs) are of growing scientific and technological interest as they have the potential to become an attractive alternative for low-cost power generation. Instead of requiring high energy processes and high purity silicon, OSCs are based on organic conductors and semiconductors which can be applied from the liquid phase by techniques like spincoating or inkjet printing.
Heraeus provides a variety of dispersions based on Clevios™ PEDOT:PSS that help to improve processing and performance of OSCs. Clevios™ can be used in three set-ups: as an alternative for the TCO-layer (transparent conductive oxide) in normal or inverted solar cells or as a HTL-layer (hole transport layer) facilitating the extraction of the charges generated in the active layer by light. The most common OSC set-ups comprising Clevios™ are shown beside.

1: Clevios™ as TCO replacement in a normal organic solar cell

2: Clevios™ as TCO replacement in an inverted organic solar cell

3: Clevios™ as HTL layer in combination with a TCO layer

ITO free Organic Solar Cells (OSC)

Highly conductive grades Clevios™ PH 500 or PH 510 or high conductive ready-to-use formulations Clevios™ FE-T or P Jet HC V2 are suitable to form transparent conductive electrodes in OSCs. Clevios™ is typically employed as the anode to offer an alternative to transparent conductive oxides layers such as ITO. Clevios™

PEDOT:PSS polymer dispersions or formulations offer advantages :

deposition by spin-coating, ink jet printing, slit, gravure or dip coating

low baking temperatures of 130°C or lower

ideal for flexible devices, no crack formation when being bent

low sheet resistance at high transparency levels of over 85%

TCO-free OSCs can be realized even for large area devices, e.g. OSC panels, when combined with a high-conductive (metallic) busbar-grid.

Clevios™ PH 500 Clevios™ PH 510 Clevios™ FET Clevios™ P Jet HC V2

Clevios™ for Hole Transport Layer (HTL) in Organic Solar Cells (OSC)

Clevios™ HTL Solar is an aqueous PEDOT:PSS dispersion tailored for OSCs as interlayer between the TCO anode, e.g. ITO, and the active layer, or as in inverted cells between the active layer and the metallic electrode. This dispersion is advantageous because:

it forms ohmic contacts with TCOs and metals

it has a work function for efficient hole-collection of about 5.0 eV

it reduces the probability of electrical shorts by smoothing defects on the substrate’s surface

it is conductive and highly transparent

Dispersions designed as hole-injecting layers for OLEDs are suitable as interlayers in OSCs as well.

Clevios™ HTL Solar

Organic Solar Cells

Clevios™ for Organic Solar Cells

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