Imaging of the 3D Nanostructure of a Polymer Solar Cell by Electron Tomography

Andersson, B.; Herland, Anna; Masich, Sergej; Inganäs, Olle

doi:10.1021/nl803676e

Cited by 102 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…13). 81,82 A clear picture of phase separation governed by these parameters was obtained. TEM showed that different kinds of fullerene derivatives had a strong effect on the morphology, which was explained by the differences in their solubilities.…”

Section: Polyfluorene-based Polymermentioning

confidence: 91%

On the morphology of polymer‐based photovoltaics

Liu

Jung

et al. 2012

J Polym Sci B Polym Phys

307

248

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We review the morphologies of polymer-based solar cells and the parameters that govern the evolution of the morphologies and describe different approaches to achieve the optimum morphology for a BHJ OPV. While there are some distinct differences, there are also some commonalities. It is evident that morphology and the control of the morphology are important for device performance and, by controlling the thermodynamics, in particular, the interactions of the components, and by controlling kinetic parameters, like the rate of solvent evaporation, crystallization and phase separation, optimized morphologies for a given system can be achieved. While much research has focused on P3HT, it is evident that a clearer understanding of the morphology and the evolution of the morphology in low bad gap polymer systems will increase the efficiency further. While current OPVs are on the verge of breaking the 10% barrier, manipulating and controlling the morphology will still be key for device optimization and, equally important, for the fabrication of these devices in an industrial setting.

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Section: Polyfluorene-based Polymermentioning

confidence: 91%

On the morphology of polymer‐based photovoltaics

Liu

Jung

et al. 2012

J Polym Sci B Polym Phys

307

248

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show abstract

“…Input morphology can either be from experimental observation [21,22,23] or numerical simulations [24,25,26]. We demonstrate how the constructed suite of morphology descriptors can be employed to characterize experimentally acquired morphology.…”

Section: Application To Analysis Of Bhj Morphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…• Progress in experimental characterization [21,22,23] and computational modeling [24,25,26] now allow insitu and in-silico 3D reconstruction and imaging of the thin film morphology with unprecedented accuracy and resolution. A computational framework capable of constructing morphology descriptors efficiently, can enable rapid and effective assimilation of large morphology (both temporal and spatial) data sets.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A graph-based formulation for computational characterization of bulk heterojunction morphology

Wodo

Tirthapura

Chaudhary

et al. 2012

Organic Electronics

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Organic solar cells (OSC) have the potential for widespread usage, due to their promise of low cost, roll-to-roll manufacturability, and mechanical flexibility. However, ubiquitous deployment is impeded by their relatively low power conversion efficiencies (PCE). The last decade has seen significant progress in enhancing the PCE of these devices through various strategies. One such approach is based on morphology control. This is because morphology affects all phenomena involved in solar conversion: (1) light absorption and electron-hole pair (exciton) generation; (2) exciton diffusion and dissociation into free charges; and (3) transport of charges to the electrodes.Progress in experimental characterization and computational modeling now allow reconstruction and imaging of thin film morphology. This opens up the possibility of rationally linking fabrication processes with morphology, as well as morphology with performance. In this context, a comprehensive set of computational tools to rapidly quantify and classify the 2D/3D heterogeneous internal structure of thin films will be invaluable in linking process, structure, and property.We present a novel graph-based framework to efficiently compute a broad suite of physically meaningful morphology descriptors. These morphology descriptors are further classified according to the physical subprocesses within OSCs -photon absorption, exciton diffusion, charge separation, and charge transport. This approach is motivated by the equivalence between a discretized 2D/3D morphology and a labeled, weighted, undirected graph. We utilize this approach to pose six key questions related to structure characterization. We subsequently construct estimates and rigorous upper bounds of various efficiencies. The approach is showcased by characterizing the effect of thermal annealing on time-evolution of a thin film morphology. We conclude by formulating natural extensions of our framework to characterize crystallinity and anisotropy of the morphology using the framework.

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“…Defocusing is typically used to enhance contrast in bright-field TEM imaging, and great care must be taken to distinguish between genuine features and artefacts due to the defocus. Despite these difficulties, beautiful three-dimensional images have been obtained of polymer:fullerene and polymer:ZnO films [27][28][29].…”

Section: Imaging Nanostructure In Bulk Heterojunctionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polymer solar cells

Greenham

2013

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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This article reviews the motivations for developing polymer-based photovoltaics and describes some of the material systems used. Current challenges are identified, and some recent developments in the field are outlined. In particular, recent work to image and control nanostructure in polymer-based solar cells is reviewed, and very recent progress is described using the unique properties of organic semiconductors to develop strategies that may allow the Shockley–Queisser limit to be broken in a simple photovoltaic cell.

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Imaging of the 3D Nanostructure of a Polymer Solar Cell by Electron Tomography

Cited by 102 publications

References 20 publications

On the morphology of polymer‐based photovoltaics

On the morphology of polymer‐based photovoltaics

A graph-based formulation for computational characterization of bulk heterojunction morphology

Polymer solar cells

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