Molecular engineering to improve carrier lifetimes for organic photovoltaic devices with thick active layers
Abstract
The morphology of the bulk heterojunction absorber layer in an organic photovoltaic (OPV) device has a profound effect on the electrical properties and efficiency of the device. Previous work has consistently demonstrated that the solubilizing side-chains of the donor material affect these properties and device performance in a non-trivial way. Here, using Time-Resolved Microwave Conductivity (TRMC), we show by direct measurements of carrier lifetimes that the choice of side chains can also make a substantial difference in photocarrier dynamics. We have previously demonstrated a correlation between peak photoconductance measured by TRMC and device efficiencies; here, we demonstrate that TRMC photocarrier dynamics have an important bearing on device performance in a case study of devices made from donor materials with linear vs. branched side-chains and with variable active layer thicknesses. We use Grazing-Incidence Wide Angle X-ray Scattering to elucidate the cause of the different carrier lifetimes as a function of different aggregation behavior in the polymers. Consequently, the results help establish TRMC as a technique for screening OPV donor materials whose devices maintain performance in thick active layers (>250 nm) designed to improve light harvesting, film reproducibility, and ease of processing.
- Authors:
-
[1];
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Univ. of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA (United States)
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1357949
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1374535; OSTI ID: 1396380
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5900-68309
Journal ID: ISSN 1566-1199
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308; AC36-08-GO28038; AC02-76SF00515; AC36-08GO28038
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Organic Electronics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 47; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 1566-1199
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 42 ENGINEERING; time-resolved microwave conductivity; organic photovoltaics; x-ray diffraction; carrier lifetime; layer thickness
Citation Formats
Oosterhout, Stefan D., Braunecker, Wade A., Owczarczyk, Zbyslaw R., Ayzner, Alexander L., Toney, Michael F., Olson, Dana C., and Kopidakis, Nikos. Molecular engineering to improve carrier lifetimes for organic photovoltaic devices with thick active layers. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.orgel.2017.04.028.
Oosterhout, Stefan D., Braunecker, Wade A., Owczarczyk, Zbyslaw R., Ayzner, Alexander L., Toney, Michael F., Olson, Dana C., & Kopidakis, Nikos. Molecular engineering to improve carrier lifetimes for organic photovoltaic devices with thick active layers. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgel.2017.04.028
Oosterhout, Stefan D., Braunecker, Wade A., Owczarczyk, Zbyslaw R., Ayzner, Alexander L., Toney, Michael F., Olson, Dana C., and Kopidakis, Nikos. Thu .
"Molecular engineering to improve carrier lifetimes for organic photovoltaic devices with thick active layers". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgel.2017.04.028. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1357949.
@article{osti_1357949,
title = {Molecular engineering to improve carrier lifetimes for organic photovoltaic devices with thick active layers},
author = {Oosterhout, Stefan D. and Braunecker, Wade A. and Owczarczyk, Zbyslaw R. and Ayzner, Alexander L. and Toney, Michael F. and Olson, Dana C. and Kopidakis, Nikos},
abstractNote = {The morphology of the bulk heterojunction absorber layer in an organic photovoltaic (OPV) device has a profound effect on the electrical properties and efficiency of the device. Previous work has consistently demonstrated that the solubilizing side-chains of the donor material affect these properties and device performance in a non-trivial way. Here, using Time-Resolved Microwave Conductivity (TRMC), we show by direct measurements of carrier lifetimes that the choice of side chains can also make a substantial difference in photocarrier dynamics. We have previously demonstrated a correlation between peak photoconductance measured by TRMC and device efficiencies; here, we demonstrate that TRMC photocarrier dynamics have an important bearing on device performance in a case study of devices made from donor materials with linear vs. branched side-chains and with variable active layer thicknesses. We use Grazing-Incidence Wide Angle X-ray Scattering to elucidate the cause of the different carrier lifetimes as a function of different aggregation behavior in the polymers. Consequently, the results help establish TRMC as a technique for screening OPV donor materials whose devices maintain performance in thick active layers (>250 nm) designed to improve light harvesting, film reproducibility, and ease of processing.},
doi = {10.1016/j.orgel.2017.04.028},
journal = {Organic Electronics},
number = C,
volume = 47,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Thu Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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