Towards efficient tin-doped indium oxide (ITO)-free inverted organic solar cells using metal cathodes

Meiss, Jan; Riede, Moritz; Leo, Karl

doi:10.1063/1.3059552

Cited by 118 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 14 publications

(14 reference statements)

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“…[17] It should be noted that a substantial amount of research has also been devoted to ultra-thin silver films and their optical properties, where many of the same problems and applications are encountered. [18][19][20][21][22] In the present paper, we investigate ultra-thin gold films, deposited onto fused silica activated with mercapto-silane, and study their optical transmission properties. The film structure was analyzed in detail using X-ray reflectivity measurements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical and Structural Properties of Ultra‐thin Gold Films

Kossoy

Merk

Simakov

et al. 2014

Advanced Optical Materials

127

100

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Realizing laterally continuous ultra-thin gold films on transparent substrates is a challenge of significant technological importance. In the present work, formation of ultra-thin gold films on fused silica is studied, demonstrating how suppression of island formation and reduction of plasmonic absorption can be achieved by treating substrates with (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane prior to deposition. Void-free films with deposition thickness as low as 5.4 nm were realized and remained structurally stable at room temperature. Based on detailed structural analysis of the films by specular and diffuse X-ray reflectivity measurements, it is shown that optical transmission properties of continuous ultra-thin films can be accounted for 2 using the bulk dielectric function of gold. However, it is important to take into account the non-abrupt transition zone between the metal and the surrounding dielectrics, which extends through several lattice constants for the laterally continuous ultra-thin films (film thickness below 10 nm). This results in a significant reduction of optical transmission, as compared to the case of abrupt interfaces. These findings imply that the atomic-scale interface structure plays an important role when continuous ultra-thin films are considered, e.g., as semitransparent electrical contacts, since optical transmission deviates significantly from the theoretical predictions for ideal films.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical and Structural Properties of Ultra‐thin Gold Films

Kossoy

Merk

Simakov

et al. 2014

Advanced Optical Materials

127

100

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“…This electrode must be deposited when the absorber layer has already been deposited on the substrate and a nonaggressive deposition procedure needs to be used. Several different options have been considered, such as low-temperature annealed indium tin oxide (ITO), [42][43][44][45][46][47][48] a three-layer architecture combining a dielectric layer, an ultra thin metal layer, and a second dielectric layer, [49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64] PEDOT, [65][66][67] silver grid, 68 graphene, [69][70][71] carbon nanotubes, 67,72 and silver nanowires (AgNW). [73][74][75][76][77][78] However, the need for a nondestructive deposition technique for the top semi-transparent electrode is probably not the major issue that semi-transparent OPV cells must overcome before becoming an industrially viable solution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Semi-transparent polymer solar cells

et al. 2015

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Abstract. Over the last three decades, progress in the organic photovoltaic field has resulted in some device features which make organic cells applicable in electricity generation configurations where the standard silicon-based technology is not suitable, for instance, when a semitransparent photovoltaic panel is needed. When the thin film solar cell performance is evaluated in terms of the device's visible transparency and power conversion efficiency, organic solar cells offer the most promising solution. During the last three years, research in the field has consolidated several approaches for the fabrication of high performance semi-transparent organic solar cells. We have grouped these approaches under three categories: devices where the absorber layer includes near-infrared absorption polymers, devices incorporating one-dimensional photonic crystals, and devices with a metal cavity light trapping configuration. We herein review these approaches.

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“…The difficulties with ITO revolve around the rising cost of indium, the brittleness of ITO and the high temperature processing used in its production. Attempts to resolve the first problem have involved use of alternative metal oxides, 1, 2 thin metal films 3,4 or metal grids 5,6 to prepare transparent conductors. However, the latter two problems are probably more significant; future displays will be larger and will probably reside on a plastic rather than a glass substrate and so must be flexible.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Silver Nanowire Networks as Flexible, Transparent, Conducting Films: Extremely High DC to Optical Conductivity Ratios

et al. 2009

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We have used aqueous dispersions of silver nanowires to prepare thin, flexible, transparent, conducting films. The nanowires are of length and diameter close to 6.5 µm and 85 nm respectively. At low thickness, the films consist of networks but appear to become bulk-like for mean film thicknesses above ~160 nm. These films can be very transparent with optical transmittance reaching as high as 92% for low thickness. The transmittance (550 nm) decreases with increasing thickness, consistent with an optical conductivity of 6472 S/m. The films are also very uniform; the transmittance varies spatially by typically <2%. The sheet resistance decreases with increasing thickness, falling below 1 Ω/ for thicknesses above 300 nm. The DC conductivity increases from 2×10 5 S/m for very thin films before saturating at 5×10 6 S/m for thicker films.Similarly, the ratio of DC to optical conductivity increases with increasing thickness from 25 for the thinnest films, saturating at ~500 for thicknesses above ~160 nm. We believe this is the highest conductivity ratio ever observed for nanostructured films and is matched only by doped metal oxide films. These nanowire films are electromechanically very robust, with all but the thinnest films showing no change in sheet resistance when flexed over >1000 cycles. Such results make these films ideal as replacements for indium tin oxide as transparent electrodes. We have prepared films with optical transmittance and sheet resistance of 85% and 13 Ω/ respectively. This is very close to that displayed by commercially available indium tin oxide.

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Towards efficient tin-doped indium oxide (ITO)-free inverted organic solar cells using metal cathodes

Cited by 118 publications

References 14 publications

Optical and Structural Properties of Ultra‐thin Gold Films

Optical and Structural Properties of Ultra‐thin Gold Films

Semi-transparent polymer solar cells

Silver Nanowire Networks as Flexible, Transparent, Conducting Films: Extremely High DC to Optical Conductivity Ratios

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