Issue 26, 2014

Applications of ytterbium in inverted organic photovoltaic cells as high-performance and stable electron transport layers

Abstract

The electron transport layer (ETL) increases the power conversion efficiency (PCE) in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) by promoting the formation of ohmic contact between the active layer and the cathode metal. Here, we introduce ytterbium (Yb) as the electron transport layer into inverted OPVs where Yb is evaporated directly onto indium tin oxide (ITO). The inverted OPVs composed of ITO/Yb/P3HT:PCBM/MoO3/Ag recorded PCEs of up to 4.3%, achieving 71% of the fill factor (FF) in one sun irradiation. Over 80% of its original PCE was retained after 30 days. The results indicate that Yb in inverted OPVs is vastly superior to other ETLs as it improves the majority of the parameters including the short circuit current, FF and PCE. In this report, we will discuss the physical and optical functions of Yb in inverted OPVs which make Yb a promising candidate for simultaneously achieving high PCE and good air stability.

Graphical abstract: Applications of ytterbium in inverted organic photovoltaic cells as high-performance and stable electron transport layers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Jan 2014
Accepted
17 Apr 2014
First published
17 Apr 2014

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014,2, 10131-10136

Author version available

Applications of ytterbium in inverted organic photovoltaic cells as high-performance and stable electron transport layers

G. M. Kim, I. S. Oh, A. N. Lee and S. Y. Oh, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014, 2, 10131 DOI: 10.1039/C4TA00181H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements