Organic photovoltaic array and method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10008669-B2
Application number	US-201514816222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2015
Priority date	Feb 14, 2011
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

The fabrication and characterization of large scale inverted organic solar array fabricated using all-spray process is disclosed, consisting of four layers; ITO-Cs 2 CO 3 -(P3HT:PCBM)-modified PEDPT:PSS, on a substrate. With PEDPT:PSS as the anode, the encapsulated solar array shows more than 30% transmission in the visible to near IR range. Optimization by thermal annealing was performed based on single-cell or multiple-cell arrays. Solar illumination has been demonstrated to improve solar array efficiency up to 250% with device efficiency of 1.80% under AM1.5 irradiance. The performance enhancement under illumination occurs only with sprayed devices, indicating device enhancement under sunlight, which is beneficial for solar energy applications. The semi-transparent property of the solar module allows for applications on windows and windshields, indoor applications, and soft fabric substances such as tents, military back-packs or combat uniforms, providing a highly portable renewable power supply for deployed military forces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell comprising:
a substrate;
an indium tin oxide layer patterned on the substrate;
Cs 2 CO 3 layer disposed on the indium tin oxide layer, wherein the Cs 2 CO 3 layer is sprayed-on the indium tin oxide layer and then annealed at about 150° C. for about 10 minutes inside a glovebox to establish a desired morphology of the Cs 2 CO 3 layer and wherein the indium tin oxide layer and the Cs 2 CO 3 layer form a cathode layer;
an active layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 6,6-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester disposed on the layer of Cs 2 CO 3 , wherein the active layer comprises a plurality of layers of a solution of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 6,6-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester that are sprayed-on and then heated to about 60° C. for about 48 hours, the plurality of layers forming a final multi-layer active layer having a total thickness of about 200 nm to about 300 nm; and
an anode layer comprising poly (3,4) ethylenedioxythiophene:poly-styrenesulfonate mixed with 5 vol. % of dimethylsulfoxide deposited on the active layer to form a semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell, wherein the semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell exhibits a transmission of at least 30% in the visible to near infrared (IR) range and, in response to an illumination incident upon the cathode layer for a duration of at least 2.5 hours, the semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell exhibits a short circuit current (I sc ) that is approximately double the short circuit current (I sc ) exhibited by the semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell when the cathode layer has not been illuminated.

2. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is low alkaline earth boro-aluminosilicate glass, cloth, or plastic.

3. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 2 , wherein the substrate is cloth and wherein the cloth is nylon cloth, cotton cloth, polyester cloth, hemp cloth, or bamboo cloth.

4. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the active layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 6,6-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester has a layer thickness of about 300 nm.

5. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the Cs 2 CO 3 layer is about 5 {acute over (Å)} to about 15 {acute over (Å)} thick.

6. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the Cs 2 CO 3 layer is about 15 {acute over (Å)} thick.

7. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode layer comprising poly (3,4) ethylenedioxythiophene:poly-styrenesulfonate mixed with 5 vol. % of dimethylsulfoxide is about 100 nm to about 600 nm.

8. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode layer comprising poly (3,4) ethylenedioxythiophene:poly-styrenesulfonate mixed with 5 vol. % of dimethylsulfoxide is about 100 nm to about 300 nm.

9. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the active layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 6,6-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl is about 200 nm and the thickness of the anode layer comprising poly (3,4) ethylenedioxythiophene:poly-styrenesulfonate mixed with 5 vol. % of dimethylsulfoxide is about 100 nm to about 600 nm.

10. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the anode layer comprising poly (3,4) ethylenedioxythiophene:poly-styrenesulfonate mixed with 5 vol. % of dimethylsulfoxide is about 200 nm.

11. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the active layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 6,6-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl is about 200 nm and the thickness of the anode layer comprising poly (3,4) ethylenedioxythiophene:poly-styrenesulfonate mixed with 5 vol. % of dimethylsulfoxide is about 100 nm.

12. A semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell array comprising a plurality of semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cells coupled in series, wherein each semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell comprises
a substrate;
an indium tin oxide layer patterned on the substrate;
Cs 2 CO 3 layer disposed on the indium tin oxide layer, wherein the Cs 2 CO 3 layer is sprayed-on the indium tin oxide layer and then annealed at about 150° C. inside a glovebox for about 10 minutes to establish a desired morphology of the Cs 2 CO 3 layer and wherein the indium tin oxide layer and the Cs 2 CO 3 layer form a cathode layer;
an active layer of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 6,6-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester disposed on the layer of Cs 2 CO 3 , wherein the active layer comprises a plurality of layers of a solution of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 6,6-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester that are sprayed-on and then heated to about 60° C. for about 48 hours, the plurality of layers forming a final multi-layer active layer having a total thickness of about 200 nm to about 300 nm; and
an anode layer comprising poly (3,4) ethylenedioxythiophene:poly-styrenesulfonate mixed with 5 vol. % of dimethylsulfoxide deposited on the active layer to form a semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell, wherein the semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell exhibits a transmission of at least 30% in the visible to near infrared (IR) range and, in response to an illumination incident upon the cathode layer for a duration of at least 2.5 hours, the semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell exhibits a short circuit current (I sc ) that is approximately double the short circuit current (I sc ) exhibited by the semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell when the cathode layer has not been illuminated.

13. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell array of claim 12 , wherein the array further comprises ten organic photovoltaic cells coupled in series in one row, and 5 rows in parallel connection.

14. The semi-transparent organic photovoltaic cell array of claim 12 , wherein the array comprises four organic photovoltaic cells disposed on a 1″×1″ substrate.

Assignees

• Jiang Xiaomei Jane
• Lewis Jason Erik
• Univ South Florida

Inventors

• Jiang Xiaomei Jane
• Lewis Jason Erik

Classifications

• H01L31/0481

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/4253

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/0043

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/441

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/448

  Electricity · mapped topic