On the Role of Bathocuproine in Organic Photovoltaic Cells

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 (C60)/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/C60/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 C60 such that a 10‐nm layer provides a sufficient buffer layer that prohibits Al contacting the C60 where it would otherwise create donor states.

Room-temperature air-stable spin transport in bathocuproine-based spin valves

“…BCP is an organic semiconductor (inset in Fig. 1a) commonly used in many organic devices, such as organic solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes 23,24 . BCP has similarities to the Tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq 3 ), which is one of the most commonly employed materials in organic-based spintronic devices.…”

Diffusion – the Hidden Menace in Organic Optoelectronic Devices

“…[18] Bathocuproine (BCP) and 4,4′,4′′-tris(N-carbazolyl)triphenylamine (TCTA) (both deuterated in order to enhance contrast) were used as the electron and hole transport layers as along with CBP both materials have been used in OLEDs and OSCs. [8,[19][20][21][22][23][24] The first film stack studied (Film 1, Figure 1) was composed of the three organic layers plus an aluminium electrode with the NR profiles shown in Figure 2. Prior to thermally stressing, the layer thicknesses were modeled as d-TCTA/(Ir(ppy) 3 :CBP/ d-BCP/Al being 277.5 ± 0.2 Å, 335.0 ± 0.2 Å, 156.2 ± 0.3 Å, and 94.4 ± 0.3 Å, respectively.…”

Decreased Recombination Through the Use of a Non‐Fullerene Acceptor in a 6.4% Efficient Organic Planar Heterojunction Solar Cell

“…[ 7 ] Such a layer improves the device by preventing metals from reacting with the acceptor and by blocking exciton quenching at the cathode. [ 8 ] At the anode side of the device, hole transport layers (HTLs) such as poly (3,4-eth ylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and MoO 3 have been used to improve charge extraction, but these layers quench excitons that diffuse towards the anode/donor interface. [ 9,10 ] Only more recently have HTLs been introduced to prevent parasitic donor exciton quenching.…”