• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.98-107
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• 2016

Third-generation photovoltaics are of low cost based on solution processes and are targeting a high efficiency. To meet the commercial demand, however, significant improvements of both efficiency and stability are required. In this sense, interfacial engineering can be useful key to solve these issues because trap sites and interfacial energy barrier and/or chemical instability at organic/organic and organic/inorganic interfaces are critical factors of efficiency and stability degradation. Here, we thoroughly review the interfacial engineering strategies applicable to three representative third-generation photovoltaics - organic, perovskite, colloidal quantum dot solar cell devices.

• Applied Science and Convergence Technology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.351-356
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• 2014

The electronic structure at organic-organic interface gives essential information on device performance such as charge transport and mobility. Especially, the molecular orientation of organic material can affect the electronic structure at interface and ultimately the device performance in organic photovoltaics. The molecular orientation is examined by the change in ionization potential (IP) for metal phthalocyanines (MPc, M=Zn, Cu)/fullerene ($C_{60}$) interfaces on ITO by adding the CuI templating layer through ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurement. On CuPc/$C_{60}$ bilayer, the addition of CuI templating layer represents the noticeable change in IP, while it hardly affects the electronic structure of ZnPc/$C_{60}$ bilayer. The CuPc molecules on CuI represent relatively lying down orientation with intermolecular ${\pi}-{\pi}$ overlap being aligned in vertical direction. Consequently, in organic photovoltaics consisting of CuPc and $C_{60}$ as donor and acceptor, respectively, the carrier transport along the direction is enhanced by the insertion of CuI templaing layer. In addition, optical absorption in CuPc molecules is increased due to aligned transition matrix elements. Overall the lying down orientation of CuPc on CuI will improve photovoltaic efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2015.11a
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• pp.265-265
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• 2015

Zinc Oxide 층은 역구조 유기 태양전지(Inverted Organic Photovoltaics, IOPV)에서 전자 수집 층으로 사용되는데, 전자 수집 및 전기 전도도 증가를 위하여 일반적으로 3차원 나노 구조체 및 양이온이 도핑된 Zinc Oxide 층이 사용된다. 본 연구에서는 저온 3차원 나노 구조체 및 음이온이 도핑된 Zinc Oxide 층을 적용하였으며, 그 결과 전자 수집 향상, 전기 전도도의 증가에 의하여 광전변환 효율(Power Conversion Efficiency, PCE)이 향상됨을 확인할 수 있었다.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.587-593
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• 2013

We demonstrate semitransparent organic photovoltaics (OPVs) based on thin metal electrodes and polymer photoactive layers consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-phenyl $C_{61}$ butyric acid methyl ester. The power conversion efficiency of a semitransparent OPV device comprising a 15-nm silver (Ag) rear electrode is 1.98% under AM 1.5-G illumination through the indium-tin-oxide side of the front anode at 100 $mW/cm^2$ with 15.6% average transmittance of the entire cell in the visible wavelength range. As its thickness increases, a thin Ag electrode mainly influences the enhancement of the short circuit current density and fill factor. Its relatively low absorption intensity makes a Ag thin film a viable option for semitransparent electrodes compatible with organic layers.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.130-136
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• 2022

Recently, organic semiconductor based indoor photovoltaics have gained attention since they exhibit excellent photovoltaic performance than that of conventional Si-based photovoltaics. In this study, we synthesize the medium bandgap polymer of PTBT and optimize PTBT:PC₇₁BM blend films by introducing solvent additives. To this end, we select DIO and CN solvent additives and vary their contents from 0 to 3 vol%. As a result, we produce the highest power conversion efficiency of 11.31% under LED 1000 lx conditions with DIO (1.5 vol%) + CN (0.5 vol%)

• Vacuum Magazine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.12-16
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• 2015

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have attracted significant interest in an interdisciplinary research field for the decades as a next-generation photovoltaic device due to their unique advantages. One of requirements for OPVs having high power conversion efficiency is the favorable energy level alignment between the electrode/organic and organic/organic interfaces to manage the exciton dissociation and improve the charge transport. In this review, strategies to enhance the OPV performance by controlling the energy level alignment are discussed. The insertion of an exciton blocking layer leads to the efficient dissociation of photogenerated excitons at the donor/acceptor interface enhancing the short-circuit current density. The choice of a donor having a high ionization energy and an acceptor having a low electron affinity increases the open-circuit voltage. The insertion of an appropriate work function modifier which reduces the charge injection barrier removes the S-kink in current density-voltage characteristics of OPVs and improves the fill factor. This review would give a valuable guide to design the efficient OPV structure.

• Applied Science and Convergence Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.254-260
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• 2014

Organic solar cells have attracted extensive attention as a promising approach for cost-effective photovoltaic devices. However, organic solar cell has disadvantage of low power conversion efficiency in comparison with other type of solar cell, due to the recombination ratio of hole and electron is too large in the active layer. Thus we have change the surface structure of PEDOT:PSS layers to improve the current density by colloidal lithography method using various-size of polystyrene sphere. The two types of coating method were applied to fabricate the different pattern shape and height, such as spin coating and drop casting. Using the organic solvent, we easily eliminate the PS sphere and could make the varied pattern shapes by controlling the wet etching time. Also we have measured the electrical properties of patterned PEDOT:PSS film to check whether it is suitable for organic photovoltaics.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.490-497
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• 2016

In this study, 3-dimensional ripple structured anion (chlorine) doped ZnO thin film are developed, and used as electron transporting layer (ETL) in inverted organic photovoltaics (I-OPVs). Optical and electrical characteristics of ZnO:Cl ETL are investigated depending on the chlorine doping ratio and optimized for high efficient I-OPV. It is found that optimized chlorine doping on ZnO ETL enhances the ability of charge transport by modifying the band edge position and carrier mobility without decreasing the optical transmittance in the visible region, results in improvement of power conversion efficiency of I-OPV. The highest performance of 8.79 % is achieved for I-OPV with ZnO:Cl-x (x=0.5wt%), enhanced ~10% compared to that of ZnO:Cl-x (x=0wt%).

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2011.07a
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• pp.1266-1267
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• 2011

We studied the influence of cathode material on the stability of organic phtovoltaics (OPVs). OPVs with LiF/Al and Ag/Ca/Ag cathode were fabricated and the stability were evaluated. The sample with LiF/Al cathode showed efficiency degradation from 2.42% to 2.04% during 50 days. On the other hand, the sample with Ag/Ca/Ag cathode showed more steeper efficiency degradation from 2.38% to 0.80% during 50 days. The different of degradation can be attributed to a larger increase of series resistance ($R_s$) in Ag/Ca/Ag cathode sample.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.143-151
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• 2024

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have shown great potential as a new generation of energy harvesters because they possess many unique properties, including mechanical flexibility, lightweight, semi-transparency, and low-fabrication costs. Recent advancements in molecular structure and device engineering have led to achieving power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 19%. However, these highly efficient active layer materials have been hampered in their commercialization by complex synthesis steps that result in high manufacturing costs. To address this issue, research is actively underway on low-cost active layer materials with simple structures. This paper introduces such cost-effective active layer materials and strategies for their synthesis.