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Applications of Organic and Printed Electronics pp 27–56Cite as

Solution-Processed Organic Photovoltaics

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Abstract

The technology of organic solar cells has matured to an extent that commercialization of first products has already started. However, with the first products pushing into the market, the research community realizes that a qualified product requires more than only high efficiency and good stability. Cost is of course as important as efficiency and lifetime, but to achieve high productivity, multiple technologic challenges have still to be solved. To reduce production costs, printing of functional layers from solution has evolved to a promising manufacturing technology for flexible organic electronics. Current processing of organic photovoltaic devices is mainly based on traditional methods like spin coating or doctor blading. However, these techniques have several disadvantages such as the incompatibility with a roll-to-roll setup and the processing of only small areas at laboratory scale. Enormous benefits in the manufacturing of organic photovoltaics are achieved by using low-cost roll-to-roll capable technologies including screen printing, spray coating, inkjet printing, gravure/flexographic printing and curtain/slot die coating. This review will shed some light on the role and importance of production technologies for organic photovoltaics and give an update on the most recent achievements in the field.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    External quantum efficiency (EQE) is the percentage of the number of electrons extracted out of a solar cell per incident photon.

  2. 2.

    In this chapter, following the widespread convention, J is the symbol of a current density, while I stands for a current.

  3. 3.

    Solar cells are typically measured at AM1.5G and a light intensity of 100 mW/cm². The “Air Mass” (AM) factor is defined as the quotient between the actual optical path length of sunlight and the optical path length when the sun is directly overhead; AM1.5G characterizes white light with a spectral intensity distribution matching that of the sun rising at a tilt angle of 37° on the earth’s surface.

  4. 4.

    The charge transport is field driven and the relevant transport parameters are the carrier mobility µ, carrier lifetime τ and internal electric field E.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Konarka Technologies GmbH, Landgrabenstrasse 94, 90443, Nürnberg, Germany

    Claudia N. Hoth & Pavel Schilinsky

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, 3603, Limassol, Cyprus

    Stelios A. Choulis

  3. Konarka Technologies Inc., 116 John Street, Lowell, MA, 01852, USA

    Srinivasan Balasubramanian

  4. Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Martensstr. 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany

    Christoph J. Brabec

Authors
  1. Claudia N. Hoth
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  2. Pavel Schilinsky
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  3. Stelios A. Choulis
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  4. Srinivasan Balasubramanian
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  5. Christoph J. Brabec
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Correspondence to Claudia N. Hoth .

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  1. Dept. Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands

    Eugenio Cantatore

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Hoth, C.N., Schilinsky, P., Choulis, S.A., Balasubramanian, S., Brabec, C.J. (2013). Solution-Processed Organic Photovoltaics. In: Cantatore, E. (eds) Applications of Organic and Printed Electronics. Integrated Circuits and Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3160-2_2

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