The Technology
Organic solar cells represent a promising advancement in solar technology, having recently achieved a significant improvement in photo-conversion efficiency from approximately 10% to 17%, with a projected maximum efficiency slightly surpassing 20%. Overcoming challenges in extracting carriers from the active film is crucial, and the primary obstacles are the exciton binding energy and low charge mobility. In nearly all devices, efficiency is contingent upon the electric field, and in solar cells, the open circuit voltage is closely aligned with the built-in potential. This implies that at this bias, the internal field is effectively zero, resulting in a decline in efficiency at the maximum power point due to a very low electric field. The well-known limitation of organic solar cells lies in the power conversion efficiency, hindered by the generation of free charges at the cell’s junction due to the low built-in electric field present at the maximum power point. Our proposed method seeks to address this limitation by enhancing the internal electric field, allowing for the recovery of efficiency losses. This enhancement involves doping a thin portion of one of the device’s layers, a technique known as delta-doping. Research indicates that such doping not only benefits organic solar cells but also holds potential for improving other technologies.
Advantages
- Enhanced structure provides 20% increase of photocurrent close to the open circuit voltage.
- Enhancement of electrical field at a junction.
Applications and Opportunities
- Organic solar cells
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