Efficient Polymer Solar Cells Fabricated on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate)-Etched Old Indium Tin Oxide Substrates

Journal Article · Wed Aug 13 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/am5037884· OSTI ID:1163925

Elshobaki, Moneim ^[1]; Anderegg, James ^[2]; Chaudhary, Sumit ^[2]

---

1. Mansoura University
2. Ames Laboratory

In organic electronic devices, indium tin oxide (ITO) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are the most common transparent electrode and anodic buffer layer materials, respectively. A widespread concern is that PEDOT:PSS is acidic and etches ITO. We show that this issue is not serious: only a few nanometers of ITO are etched in typical device processing conditions and storage thereafter; conductivity losses are affordable; and optical transmission gains further offset these losses. Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices fabricated on old ITO (with PEDOT:PSS history) were similar or higher in efficiency than devices on fresh ITO. Poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7) devices on old ITO showed efficiencies up to 9.24% compared to 8.72% efficient devices on fresh ITO. This reusability of ITO can be impactful for economics of organic electronics because ITO accounts for almost 90% of energy embedded in devices, such as OPVs.

• Research Organization: Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-07CH11358
• OSTI ID: 1163925
• Report Number(s): IS-J 8436
• Journal Information: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 6; ISSN 1944-8244
• Publisher: American Chemical Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
PEDOT:PSS
etching
indium tin oxide
polymer solar cells
transparent electrode