On the Role of Bathocuproine in Organic Photovoltaic Cells

✍ Scribed by Hans Gommans; Bregt Verreet; Barry P. Rand; Robert Muller; Jef Poortmans; Paul Heremans; Jan Genoe

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 282 KB
• Volume: 18
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1616-301X
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200800815

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The effect of bathocuproine (BCP) on the optical and electrical properties of organic planar heterojunction photovoltaic cells is quantified by current–voltage characterization under 1 sun AM 1.5D simulated solar illumination and spectral response at short‐circuit conditions. By inserting a 10 nm BCP layer in an indium tin oxide (ITO)/subphthalocyanine (SubPc)/buckminsterfullerene (C~60~)/BCP/Al thin‐film structure, an increase in power‐conversion efficiency from 0.05 to 3.0% is observed, mostly reflected in the enhanced open‐circuit voltage up to 920 mV. Furthermore, the incorporation of a 10‐nm BCP layer in an ITO/C~60~/BCP/Al structure leads to an increase in built‐in potential from 250 to 850 mV, as demonstrated by electroabsorption. It is argued that BCP passivates C~60~ such that a 10‐nm layer provides a sufficient buffer layer that prohibits Al contacting the C~60~ where it would otherwise create donor states.